Bonds of Power
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: Centuries after the Dragon Reborn has died, the Asha'men and Aes Sedai still exist. A young woman, gifted with the Talent of Foresight, may also possess another, more deadly, power unknown to anyone in the Ages.
1. Wheel of Fate

Summery: Centuries after the Dragon Reborn and all his legends are dead, the Source still exists in men and women - the Asha'men and their Black Tower, and the Aes Sedai in their White Tower. A young woman, gifted with theTalent ofForesight, may also possess another, more deadly, power unknown to anyone in the Ages...To rein in this threat, the two Towers and their enemies must learn to cooperate if they have any hope of surviving the oncoming battle, and the war that now ravages their world.

Warning: An AU, this takes Aes Sedai and Asha'men into a future world, where modern science and the Source go hand-in-hand.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Wheel of Time, but I do own ALL characters and the plot.

This is my first fanfiction based on a book, and the first one of its kind, if I can say so. I've completed the ten Wheel of Time books, and plan on continuing to read Robert Jorden. Instead of basing my story in the past, however, I decided to try to wonder what would happen if Aes Sedai and Asha'men still existed today. The things my sleep-deprived mind can think of...well, this is just a trial chapter. If it's bad, I won't post more. If it's interesting, let me know!

Please review if you read, regardless whether you like it or nor. No reviews is worse than bad ones, in my opinion. Ideas, suggestions, commens, and helpful criticism is gladly welcome. However, no swearing or excessive rudeness.

* * *

"Did you have another dream?" Noela asked sympathetically, hearing her friend wake up with a gasp. Nineteen year-old Calla nodded in the dark, a thin sheen of sweat on her body. 

"Yeah," she tapped the bottom of the bunk above her, where Noela was laying. "Can't sleep?"

"No – you were talking in your sleep and I woke up," her friend, almost two years younger, leaned her head over to catch a glimpse of the other young woman. "You getting up already? We've still got a few hours of sleep, you know."

"I can never go back to sleep after a dream like that," Calla sighed, sitting up and promptly banging her head on the baseboard. "Damn!" she hissed, careful not to wake their other two roommates. Birgitte, a golden-haired beauty of twenty, shifted in her sleep after mumbling something, while brunette Anne, six months younger than Calla, merely rolled over onto her stomach. "I'm just going to wander around for a while. I'll eat an early breakfast and get a head start."

"Whatever. Want me to come with you?" Noela, her brown hair almost black, asked with concern. The two girls had been best friends for almost thirteen years, and were closer than sisters.

"Yeah. Get some sleep," Calla ordered quietly, slipping into her uniform. The four girls all worked at the Palace, one of the many hotels in a chain business, and boarded there as well in back rooms used for storage as well. Brigitte never told them much about her, but Calla and Noela had left their town, ravished by war, to find jobs, and Anne had been sent to make her own way in the world by her father.

"All right," the girl rolled over on her back and fell asleep before Calla even managed to get out of the room.

* * *

"Dreams…that's all they are, dreams," she muttered to herself, walking the halls. Not many guests were up so early except a few businessmen, who paid little attention to her as she passed by. Her dark golden-chestnut was in a twist at the nape of her neck, and her marine-green eyes were set in a palely-tanned face. Rubbing her eyes briefly, Calla took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Ever since her premonition of the attack on their town, she had been wary of dreams as clear as this one, most of which predicted dire circumstances for someone close to her. 

Smoothing her gray-blue skirt in agitation, her matching blouse wrinkled as she stretched briefly. A black belt was around her waist where the black buttons ended, and black short heels were on her stocking-clad feet. Calla mainly worked as a server and room service, but occasionally filled in for absent or busy maids throughout the hotel. She didn't mind, needing the extra money. Noela worked as a full-time maid, while Birgitte was stationed in the kitchens and Anne was on the crew that cleaned rooms.

Feeling her stomach rumble, she grinned ruefully to herself and headed toward the kitchens, were the staff ate before the scheduled breakfast. Sure enough, there were several waiters already in there, while the cook, Johnson, worked over the stoves.

"You're up early," he grunted, noticing her entrance.

"Couldn't sleep," she shrugged, and ambled over to an empty counter space. "Got anything decent?"

"Of course," he replied, and slid down a plate with bacon, eggs, and toast on it. Orange juice soon followed, and she quickly caught the glass before it spilt onto her food. "Eat up – you look a little pale."

"You feeling okay, Calla?" one of the waiters, Brad, called over. She waved back without replying, and dug into her food with gusto. The staff was all on friendly terms, except for a few people that avoided their coworkers for whatever reason they had. "Just don't get sick – we've got enough people out already," he joked, returning to his own breakfast. She rolled her eyes but kept quiet, concentrating on driving the dream out of her head.

"Morning!" Birgitte called, swaying into the room. Just over six feet, her golden hair hung in a braid to her waist, and her eyes were a dark violet. Her figure was curvy without being showy, and although she knew she was attractive and sometimes acted like a flirt, Calla didn't know anyone more down-to-earth than her new friend. "So, couldn't sleep?" she noticed, seeing Calla. "I saw you were gone, and figured you'd be down here. Yo, Johnson, I'm starving here!"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, secretly pleased that there were people to serve. The man's passion was cooking, and none of them had ever tasted anything better than their cook's food.

"Took you long enough," she grinned, taking the offered plate and sitting on a stool next to Calla. Working in the kitchens for almost as long as Calla had been there, almost a year, the tall woman wore black shoes, blue-gray pants, and a matching T-shirt with a long white apron over it. Shooting a teasing grin at her friend, Birgitte eagerly dug into her plate, while Calla shook her head in amazement.

"You're unbelievable," she commented, propping her chin in her palm. "Where're Noela and Anne?"

"Sleeping, I think," Birgitte mumbled, barely taking her eyes off her plate. Calla also didn't know anyone _less_ feminine at times than the tall woman, but she assumed that came from height. "Last I saw, at least."

"Did I wake you?" Calla asked, finishing off her own food.

"Not really," the other young woman shrugged, draining her glass. "Just a bit, but I'm a light sleeper anyway."

"It seems you can run three days on two hours of sleep, sometimes," Calla sighed, her own sleep less-than-satisfactory lately.

"It's a gift," Birgitte shrugged, sighing deeply in contentment. "Hey, Johnson, food was crappy as usual."

"I'm so glad it was to your satisfaction," he replied dryly, ignoring her as usual. "What about you, Calla?"

"It was horrid. I could barely choke it down," she replied calmly, and he grinned.

"Good. I wouldn't want to lose my touch."

"Yo, we got some guests arriving!" another waiter called back into the kitchen, "Let's get to work, you slackers!"

"Who're you calling a slacker?" Brad demanded, and Calla shrugged helplessly as she followed her coworkers out. Birgitte tied her apron on securely and armed herself with a spatula.

* * *

"Where're ya want me to start, boss?" 

"We've got some new people in this morning," Aaron, the waiter in charge, told them quietly. "I think they're all together, even though they came separately. Calla, you take tables Three and Eight – Brad, One and Two as usual. Nick, you and Greg split the rest up once people start coming in. I'll run orders to Johnson."

"Gotcha," Calla and the others mock-saluted, as was their habit each morning, before dispersing to their assignments. The high ceilings had crystal chandeliers hanging over each table, and the red carpet was set off by the gold-embossed walls and painted ceiling. She began to walk over to one of the tables were people were at, and suddenly froze in her tracks. A woman, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, was sitting calmly, while three other men looked through their menus. The woman was dressed in all varying shades of green, and her dark-blond hair that fell in curls and brown eyes were set off by the colors. All the men, of varying ages, were in solid black, some relieved only by a silver pin on their collars.

"Who're they? You look like you want to be sick," Greg whispered, coming up behind her.

"Uh…it's nothing," she lied. "I've just never seen people like them before."

"Aren't they Asha'men?" Nick added, passing by with a tray and pad. "The men who can control the Source with their will?"

"Yeah, that looks like 'em," Greg nodded in recognition, and suddenly pushed her lightly in the small of her back. "Get going – we may as well put on a good show for 'em. Don't want to piss 'em of, of course."

"Of course," she repeated, and strode over to the table, looking more confident than she felt. "Good morning," she said cheerfully, avoiding looking any of them in the eye. She focused on the woman's dress for a moment, but began to feel seasick. "Are you ready to order, or would you just like your drinks for now?"

"I'll just have water, please," the woman said coolly, but something in her tone revealed that she wasn't a harsh person.

"Number three for me," one of the men told her, and the other nodded in agreement. Marking it on her pad, she waited for the last man to order, and noticed with surprise that they were watching her intently.

"Um…will that be all?" she asked finally, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Number one," the last man said finally, and she wrote it down in relief. Striding away from the table she headed toward Aaron and passed him the slip.

"We've got people coming in, so get to work," he said, and she nodded in acceptance. To her relief, the other Asha'men were seated at tables other than hers, but four women who looked to be together with them were at her other table.

"_Daamn…"_ she sighed, but shrugged it off. "Good morning. Would you –"

"I'll have a number four, miss," one of the woman, in stark white with some silver, said sharply. Taking it in stride, Calla turned to the others. One wore blue, another yellow, and the last was in brown – all the shades varying, but obviously in the same color range.

"Same for us, please," the one in brown said absently, not really seeming to know what she was saying. The blue one shook her head in amusement, while the yellow handed her the menus.

"Please make it quick – we have to be somewhere," the yellow one added, and Calla nodded.

"I'll do my best, ma'm," she said, and rushed toward Aaron. "Get it there quick – they said they have to go somewhere," she told him quietly, and he nodded.

"Johnson'll work his magic, don't worry. Three's up, by the way," he added, nodding toward a laden-down tray on the bar counter. She braced herself for the load, and with experience hefted it up as she made her way to the table with three Asha'men and the woman in green.

"Here are your orders," she said, passing the plates out.

"Thank you, miss," the green one said, not unkindly, but Calla flinched all the same. Whisking the empty tray away, she hurried to the counter to wait until the other table's orders were done.

"Those women in colors must be Aes Sedai," Birgitte thought, glancing over her shoulder at her friend. "They and the Asha'men work rarely together, I've heard. After all, the Source is in two Powers – one female, and one male. I guess putting their powers together for the war has got to do something."

"Yeah. Aren't there seven Ajah?" Calla asked, looking around the room. Asha'men were scattered around the room, and two other woman as well, in red and gray respectively.

"Yeah – Brown, Yellow, Green, Blue, Red, Gray, and White," Birgitte replied without turning around again. "The Tower is split into those seven Ajahs, and each group specializes in using the Source in a particular way, but they're all under the command of the Tower, their central place of coordination. The Asha'men have a Tower as well now, I've heard. I wonder what a Sister of one of each Ajah is doing here, as well as so many Asha'men. Do they think someone will attack the Palace or something?"

"Who knows?" Nick shrugged, stepping into the conversation with ease.

"Number eight's up, Calla," Johnson interrupted, handing her the tray. She grasped it firmly and weaved her way around the now-crowded dining room, where all the servers were now present and working hard as usual.

"Here you are," she said, distributing the plates. The woman in brown looked startled by her appearance, and the one in blue nodded calmly.

"Thank you, miss. We'll call if we require anything else," she said, and Calla nodded respectively.

* * *

"_None of the Sisters looks older than mid-twenties," _she thought, checking the room to make sure no one needed help before moving to the wall again. _"I wonder if that's a side-effect of touching the Source?"_

"Hey, snap out of it!" Greg snapped his fingers in front of her face, and she jumped up. "Table three looks like they want you back."

"All right," she muttered, striding over to the table and trying to maintain her calm appearance, sure that they could see through it anyway. "Yes? I'm sorry for not coming sooner."

"Oh, that's all right," the woman in green smiled cheerfully at her. "I was just wondering if I could have some eggs."

"Of course ma'm," Calla scribbled it down on her pad, wondering whether she should address the woman as Sister or not, since she wasn't in customary Aes Sedai garb. "I'll be back in a moment. How would you like them?"

"It doesn't matter – over-easy, I suppose," she thought, and Calla nodded.

* * *

"Was that the woman?" an Asha'man asked, as Calla strode away from their table. The Green nodded impatiently, with a glance toward her Bonded Asha'man, Jaib. 

"Yes – Calla Maher," she told them quietly. "Apparently, she has the Talent of Foretelling – a rare gift that only one in thousands of Sisters may have. We're to remain here until she has been convinced to return to the Tower with us, and to ward off any attacks that may occur as a result."

"I see," the man leaned back, apparently satisfied with the Green's response. Although the two factions worked together in the war effort, the Aes Sedai and Asha'men were under two different Towers, and neither side forgot that the other was an unnamed enemy as well.

"However, this doesn't explain why a Sister from each Ajah was sent here, along with Asha'men," the second Asha'men pointed out, narrowing his black eyes. ""Foretelling is a Talent, but only one should be appropriate, correct? If you expect our cooperation, Sister, you'd do best to explain yourself fully."

"Not here," she shook her head, cornered.

"Yes, here. You won't get a chance to confer with the otherAjahs to concoct a story for us," he pressed, keeping his voice low. The buzz of conversations around the dining room masked their own voices, especially since they used a ward against eavesdropping.

"Calla shows signs of being able to tap into the Power – her Foretelling is proof enough," the green, named Jayeuse, repeated. "However, her power is erratic, and the Source is blurred around her."

"What are you saying?" the man, Kiel, demanded with a glance toward his fellow Asha'men Jaib and Pyotr. "Are you saying this girl can tap into the Source directly? Both Powers?"

"That's why the Ajahs have all been sent here," she informed him. "The girl must be tested – and the Asha'men can guard against any mishaps, if need be."

* * *

"Only that man there looks any older than forty," Birgitte thought, whispering to Calla during a lull in the orders. "See, the one with graying hair? Maybe late forties, or early fifties at most." 

"I'd be surprised if that Asha'man is over sixteen," Calla added, glancing toward a brown-haired boy seated with the older man. "Two with the Green Sister look in their early twenties, and the third perhaps a little older. The other two with Sisters don't look older than late-twenties either."

"Did you notice some of them have pins?" Brad asked, sidling up to the two women. "That old guy has three, and three don't have any. The others have one, except for the one close to that woman in green – he's got two. They must have something to do with rank."

"I know in the Tower, rank is according to your strength and experience in the Power, not age," Birgitte told them. "Even if you're very strong, a Sister with more experience is above you in the hierarchy."

"How do you know all this?" Calla asked.

"I knew a friend that went to the Tower, but was released when they said she wasn't strong enough to channel," Birgitte shrugged, and they didn't press the issue.

"There were more Asha'men then those seven, but they left quickly," Brad told them suddenly, looking around. "I'd say maybe sixteen or more in total."

"And Seven Ajahs? I wonder what's going on," Birgitte thought, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "Maybe they _do_ think the Palace is going to be attacked."

"I hope they go away soon," Calla muttered. "They make me nervous."

"Really?" Birgitte turned to look at her friend, who shrugged helplessly. Unknown to them, so many men and women who could the Powers created a concentrated effect, disturbing Calla's own unrealized ability.

"Looks like some of 'em are clearing out," Greg reported, appearing suddenly in front of them. "May as well start to clean up from their mess."

"Yeah," Brad nodded, and glanced toward Calla. "You stay on order duty, I guess. After all, you're not supposed to clean tables."

"I don't mind," she protested, but shrugged as the two young men headed off. "Honestly, just because I'm a server, I still fill in for others."

"That's just how they are, I guess," Birgitte shrugged, and Call rolled her eyes. She turned away into the kitchen a moment later, uncomfortably feeing eyes on her.

* * *

"Yardley better be right about this," Flinn muttered to Micah. The boy glanced toward Calla before returning his gaze to the table. "I've got better things to do than chase after women the Amyrlin is suspicious of." The Red sister cleared her throat conspicuously, and glanced over to the Gray at the next table over, who merely shrugged slightly. 

"If she wasn't certain, we would not be here," Terezihna said coldly. The Red's bright blue eyes, light skin, and pale blond hair often deceived people into thinking she was naïve, but her eyes peered at others sharply, giving no room for mistakes, while her hair was done up on the back of her head in a twist.

"Unfortunately, Jayeuse Sedai is in charge, not Terezihna Sedai," Flinn commented, his gray mustache twitching while Micah tried to hide a grin of his own. Terezihna's lips curled – the animosity between Blues and Reds was legendary, but the Reds disliked all other Bands save their own – but refrained from commenting. The Asha'man, having earned the Silver Sword, Crystal Sheath, and Diamond Arrow, was first-rank and second-in-command to Yardley, and was in charge of the Asha'men and their actions while they were with the Aes Sedai

"We should be departing," Sy reached his commander's side, having left his own table, and bowed low. "The others are already scouting, and we should not linger too long." Although Sy, as well as Micah and Pyotr, had no rank, he was still well-respected as all Asha'men were in their own ranks.

"Of course. Gather the others if you please, Terezihna Sedai," Flinn added to the Red, the suggestion obviously more of a command. The Red jerked upright, but rose calmly and stalked off. Reds were known for their dislike of men, people in general, their tempers, strength, and distrust of any other than another Red – and even then, trust never went very far. "I'm thinking that the Amyrlin shouldn't have sent a Red," Flinn murmured, as the Asha'men moved together. "She's sure to stir something up."

"That's not our concern," Jaib said calmly. Having earned both the Sword and Sheath, he had been picked as Flinn's second-in-command during the mission. "Our only worry is to keep things from getting out of hand when something does happen, not occupy our time with worries about something happening in the first place."

"You use too many words to say what could be said in three," Flinn said languidly, but his reply reminded Jaib who was in command.

* * *

"She certainly does seem to be capable of using the Power, if she has the ability," Laasya thought, her brown skin appearing darker amidst the light blues she wore. Her black hair, past her shoulders, was in numerous thin braids, with beads of varying colors at the ends. Her black eyes never missed much, especially the movements of the Red Ajah. Blues were seekers of justice, and also of causes in which to occupy themselves with, which ended up with Blues and Grays often working together. "What do you think, Iline?" 

"Hm? Oh, yes, I would dearly love to learn her history further. I'm sure they missed something," the Brown said absently. Browns were usually burrowed in the Tower library or discussing at length things that bored anyone else to tears, concerning themselves with the written word and seeking knowledge, forsaking the world. The eldest Aes Sedai among them, her dark blond-brown hair had touches of gray in it, was in a coronet at the nape of her neck.

"I'm sure you would," Jayeuse said, with a slight roll of her eyes. The Greens were generally fond of men, amiable, and always alert for a fight in which to join in.

"I wonder if she would have any talent for Healing," Aurelia wondered, her black braid over her shoulder made even darker by her light skin and pale yellow robes. Her indigo eyes were half-shut, as if she was dreaming of something else, but Yellows excelled in Healing like no other Ajah and were very practical.

"There is no point in wondering what she _could_ be adept in when we do not even know if she _can_ wield the Power," the White Sister, Daelyn, interrupted the Yellow Sister's musings. With lightly-tanned skin and dark-red hair cut just to her shoulders was partially pulled back, and her brown-green eyes betrayed no emotion. Whites were logical to the extreme, and ignored worldly values and knowledge to concern themselves with philosophy and truth – earning a rather marked lack of contact with Ilin. "We must first discover how to talk to the girl without arousing suspicion."

"I thought the Asha'man Jaib – pardon, your _Bonded_ – was to contact her," Terezihna said to Jayeuse, her distaste of Bonded men in general and Asha'men in particular apparent in the small jib. The Green didn't rise to the bait, and the Gray Sister pursed her lips in thought.

"Ah yes, they knew each when they were young, correct?" Esme checked. With light skin as well, her mouse-brown hair hung straight to her waist, and her eyes were of the same color. When she received a nod she continued calmly. The Gray Ajah had acted as mediators between nations and their own Tower for centuries, and their mediating skills always increased their own influence as well as avoided wars. "I thought she recognized him when she arrived in the room. We'll let her – all of them – grow used to the idea of us in their area before we make a move. TheAmyrlin did tell us this was not going to be an easy, or a short, task, remember."

"Yes, I remember," Iline said, momentarily out of her daze and her sharp mind clear to the ideas presented before her for once. "I'll send a report later this week to inform her of our progress."

"We'll be sure to have made some by then, I suppose," Laasya said calmly.

* * *

I know that the ranks for Asha'men are different, but I thought that considering so many years have passed, some of their ways were sure to have changed too, especially under new leadership. Please review and let me know your honest opinion on this. As for Birgitte, if she becomes the Birgitte Silverbow from the stories, I'm still debating that. It depends if I continue this story or not. 


	2. Wheel of Inquisitiveness

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter

Thanks for the review I did get. As for calling them Asha'men or Asha'man in the plural, I'll stick with 'men', since I've already used it so many times. And I'm still not sure which is correct. I have already decided why Calla is able to tap into both Sources, but it's a secret! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.

Please review if read. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"I wonder how long the Aes Sedai are going to stay here," Noela wondered, shaking the bedsheets. Anne snapped the pillowcases out sharply without looking up. 

"I don't know. I think it's pretty cool."

"Are you crazy?" Noela demanded, shooting a look at her friend. "The entire staff is in fear of the Red, while the Brown is constantly asking us ridiculous questions about history – like we would know. I can't wait until they leave."

"Really?"

"Really, Anne," the younger girl nodded, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

* * *

"What was _he_ doing here?" Calla wondered to herself, beginning to dust one of the rooms. "I thought they stayed in the Black Tower – or White, whatever. Wherever their Aes Sedai are." 

"I thought you'd be happy to see me again, after so long."

"Jaib!" she straightened up in surprise, and whirled around to face the black-clad man. His brown hair hung a little in his gray eyes, and his 6'2" figure towered over her. "Shouldn't you be with your Aes Sedai?" she asked pointedly, turning around so her face didn't betray her emotions. Three years older than her, Jaib had been one of her closest friends before he was discovered to have the Power and was Bonded to an Aes Sedai.

"I'm not a pet on a leash – although I think she likes to think of our relationship that way," he added with a chuckle, and his hand dropped lightly on her shoulder. "You can stop acting so freaked out, Calla."

"I'm working – I'll get in trouble if I'm caught slacking off," she muttered, vigorously rubbing the top of the dresser.

"Come on – not if you're with an Asha'man. You know that," he pointed out, and she shrugged his hand off her.

"You shouldn't use your status like that," she informed him, and he sighed in disappointment.

"Oh well. I had the day off, but…"

"Day off?" she repeated skeptically, and he grinned at her.

"Well, the Aes Sedai are in conference, and I may be a Captain, but apparently they can take care of themselves when they're linked. So we were all shunted out for a while. I thought we could use the time to get acquainted again."

"Nice try," Calla turned back to her work, dismissing him entirely. "You're an Asha'man now – and Bonded, too. Things are different. You were the one who told me that before you left, remember? You didn't even let me write to you, you were so full of yourself. So don't come back now expecting me to welcome you with open arms."

"All right, have it your way," he put his hands up in a peace sign as he backed out of the room, and she huffed.

"I don't know who he thinks he is," she muttered, snapping the rag viciously. "Just because he's an Asha'man now…" Folding the piece of cloth and violently throwing it back in the bucket she carried her supplies in, Calla left the room and headed down the hallway, still grumbling to herself. She paused, however, when a strange sensation pricked the back of her mind, and the bucket slipped from her fingers as her eyes glazed over and images began to flash chaotically through her mind.

* * *

"The Source is being tapped!" Aurelia announced, unnecessarily since the other linked Sisters were able to feel it as well. 

"That girl…what could she be doing?" Daelyn wondered, as they broke their link and reluctantly let the Source flow from their minds.

"Esme, come with me," Laasya ordered, gathering her robs and stalking from the room. "The rest of you, contact the Asha'men and inform them to be on their guard. Immediately!"

"As you say, Laasya Sedai," Iline bobbed her head, surprisingly alert instead of her usual composure.

* * *

"Calla! What's wrong?" Birgitte asked, rushing to her friend when she saw her crouched on the floor in the hallway, holding her head in pain. Her friend only groaned in response, and suddenly released her head with a gasp. 

"What on…"

"Are you all right?" the blond persisted, kneeling next to Calla and helping her sit upright.

"It suddenly…whatever was in my head, it suddenly went away," Calla told her, unable to figure out how the pain had suddenly dissipated. "It's like someone turned off a switch…and the pictures are gone too."

"Pictures? What pictures?" Birgitte asked in confusion, but Calla's lips closed tightly as the Blue and Gray Aes Sedai approached them, the Blue looking concerned and the Gray wondering.

"Is everything all right?" the Blue asked, as Birgitte helped her friend to her feet. The blond shot the Aes Sedai a dirty look and occupied herself with straightening Calla's clothes, leaving the younger woman to reply.

"Um…yes, Aes Sedai, thank you," she bobbed her head courteously. "It was just a sudden headache. It's gone now."

"It is?" the Gray asked in surprise, ignoring the look the Blue shot her. "Would you like some Healing?" she continued, and Calla backed up nervously.

"N-no thank you, Aes Sedai," she shook her head, trying to be as polite as possible. "I feel fine, really. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work," she added, grabbing her bucket as Birgitte dragged her past the two women down the hall.

"Hm…a Foretelling?" Laasya wondered, and Esme pursed her lips in thought.

"I don't know. Perhaps she was having a reaction to our link?" she suggested, and the Blue nodded in thought.

"Possible. We shall report this to the Amyrlin as soon as possible – have Aurelia write up a report as soon as possible," she ordered, smoothing her skirts calmly. "And we must have someone keep a closer eye on her – Light forbid that she taps into the Source and causes wanton destruction in this place."

"Yes," Esme agreed coolly, already mentally preparing a report herself for the Amyrlin as well.

* * *

"_Me_?" Sy repeated, pointing his finger to his chest as if he was someone else. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes – the girl refuses to speak to Jaib, and we need someone adept at the Source to control her in case anything happens," Flinn nodded, arms folded across his chest. "Laasya Aes Sedai personally requested an Asha'man to keep an eye on her. While you may not be the strongest, you can sense things about you clearer than the others. That's why I'm assigning you to guard duty."

"Sounds more like babysitting," the twenty-four year old grumbled, but nodded reluctantly when his commander sent a sharp glance his way. "Yes, sir. Can I request Micah as well? I can teach him while we watch her, and he's handy as a backup."

"Really?" the fifteen year-old Asha'man asked eagerly, looking both pleased and surprised at the sudden compliment. Flinn appeared taken aback for a moment, but nodded his agreement.

"All right – Micah, you'll be with Sy until further notice," the elder man ordered. "Don't let her know you're watching, of course."

"Yes, sir," Sy saluted, suppressing a grin of amusement at seeing Micah's eager expression.

* * *

"Are you feeling all right?" Birgitte asked again that evening, as the two women finished their cleaning and headed back to the kitchens for a quick meal before the diners began to arrive. 

"I'm _fine_, honestly," Calla nodded. "Please don't tell the others about it – I don't want them worrying too. And stop asking."

"All right, if you feel that strongly about it," the blond agreed, a little surprised at how firm Calla sounded. Falling silent, the pair continued down the hall, their footsteps masked in the thick carpet. They began to move aside as two Asha'men strode down the hall towards them, but the taller one abruptly jostled Calla, and took her arm to straighten her out.

"Pardon me, ma'm," the redhead apologized, inclining his head briefly before continuing on. The younger boy looked confused, but bobbed his head at the two women before rushing after his partner.

"What was that about?" Birgitte wondered, and Calla shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess Asha'men aren't all pompous jerks," she guessed, and Birgitte grinned.

"That tall was pretty cute," the tall women commented, and her friend rolled her eyes in amusement.

"That's only because he's taller than you are," she replied, and her friend grinned guiltily.

"Well, maybe – but not by much," she retorted, and Calla laughed as they reached the kitchen.

"They all seem pretty tall," she noticed, and the cook glanced up as they sat down at the counter.

"Who? Me?" he grinned, and Birgitte made a gagging sound as Calla giggled. The elder man shook his head patiently, knowing they were teasing him, and continued his preparations for the meals. "You girls gonna tell me, or what?"

"Just the Asha'men," Birgitte supplied. "Most of them seem really tall."

"Hey, you two better not be getting any ideas about hooking up with one," Johnson said jokingly, but a frown crossed his face as his tone grew suspiciously serious.

"What's the matter, jealous?" the blond beauty asked teasingly, but he only grunted and shook his head.

"We're not serious, Johnson," Calla informed him calmly. "We can notice that they're tall, right? I don't want anything to do with any of them."

"Me either!" Birgitte agreed emphatically, and Noela blinked in confusion as she followed Anne in.

"Huh? Anything to do with who?" the dark-haired girl asked curiously, both girls wearing the same outfit as Calla.

"I bet they already picked out Asha'men!" Anne guessed with a sly grin, and Calla frowned as Birgitte glared at the girl.

"Have some tact, Anne," the blond said sharply, not amused at all.

"A-ha! They're defensive!"

"Cut it out!" Calla ordered, her tone sharp. "I don't think it's funny."

"Fine, fine, you don't have to bit my head off," the girl muttered, slumping on her bar stool. Although she was close in age to Calla, the girl was probably the least mature of the group, driving the others insane quite often with her lack of tact and loud mouth.

"Here ya girls go – better get ready to get to work," the cook noticed, seeing Aaron stride into the room. "It's getting cramped in here," the man joked, as the kitchen was big enough to house the entire staff if need be.

"Almost ready?" the man, in his thirties, asked impatiently. "All the Asha'men are here at once, it seems – appears to be about twenty or so in total, along with the Aes Sedai. We need to hurry, since there are other diners arriving as well."

"I bet there's not many," Birgitte remarked cryptically. "Who wants to try to eat in the same room with that bunch? It's enough to make you sick to your stomach."

"Noah aramets heah," Noela agreed, and they all turned to stare at her. She quickly swallowed the food she had been talking through and grinned sheepishly. "No arguments here," she supplied, and they nodded in agreement.

"Well, we have to serve them nonetheless, and the others are almost ready," Aaron informed them sternly. "Noela, you stay with Birgitte and help them in the kitchen – Anne, get a platter and menus and help out at the tables."

"Sure thing, boss!" the brunette saluted, jumping out of her chair, as Calla stifled a groan. Birgitte looked sympathetic, but tied her apron on firmly as she polished off the last of her meal.

"I'm ready, old man," she taunted, moving behind the counters and preparing to cook. "Think you can keep up with us?"

"Yeah!" Noela agreed, a wicked smirk on her face. "Let's show him who can cook in this place!"

"You two are on," the man chuckled, and the waiter rolled his eyes tolerantly, waiting for Calla to finish her own food and Anne to get her things ready.

"I'm good to go," Calla nodded, handing her plate to Noela and reaching for her things that rested on the shelf near the door, easily accessible to the staff. "Hey, where's my stuff?" she demanded, finding that they were gone.

"Oh, I took them," Anne said calmly, holding the things in her arms. "I needed to use them!"

Calla stifled an argument and merely dug around for extra things, quickly finding what she needed.

"All right, get a move on," Aaron ordered, following them out as he shooed into the main room.

* * *

"What was that about in the hallway?" Micah asked curiously, as he and Sy relaxed in the dining room. The older Asha'man had been ignoring the question since the incident with the two women, but the boy was determined to find out what was going on. "You're supposed to be teaching me," he reminded the young man, who grinned. 

"Yeah, yeah. All right – I placed a signal ward on her body. That way, we can sense her from further away," he told the boy. Sy's dark-red hair, as well as his height, marked him as a descendent from the Aiel, as several of the Asha'men there were, due to their skill at wielding saidin. "It'll also serve as a barrier to keep the Source in check temporarily in case something happens when we're not around."

"Good thinking," Laasya complimented them, taking a seat at their table. "I trust nothing new has occurred."

"No, Aes Sedai," Sy replied, gritting his teeth in aggravation. He hadn't realized the Aes Sedai's presence until she had spoken, and was disgruntled she had overheard his plan. He did breathe a sigh of relief, however, that it was the Blue instead of the Red – actually, he preferred any of them to the Red Aes Sedai.

"Then we will proceed as we originally decided. No matter if the Asha'men decide to go their own way," Daelyn said primly, seating herself beside the Blue Sister. Sy ground his teeth, now utterly frustrated, and wished Flinn would appear and put the two women in their place as he usually did for his subordinates.

"Can I help you yet?" Calla asked them, appearing between the two Asha'men. She wondered why she always seemed to be the one stuck with the Blue Sister and Asha'men, and silently ordered her feet to remain still while she took orders.

"Not yet, thank you, child," the woman in Blue shook her head calmly, opening her menu. "In a few minutes, please."

"Of course," the young woman said, bobbing her head respectfully and moving away as quickly as she could while appearing polite.

"I wonder what she Saw," Daelyn thought quietly, and Laasya sighed.

"I wish we knew as well. I'm certain it's important," the Blue replied, a slight frown creasing her face. The two Asha'men remained silent, supposedly skimming their menus, but Micah, whose memory was extraordinary, was filing the conversation away for further use and to report to Flinn. After a moment, the two Aes Sedai seemed to remember they had company and silently exchanged glances, while Sy mused to himself in his head, his dark-green eyes staring blankly ahead.

"_It must be something big, if they're talking about stuff like this in front of us without realizing it,"_ he realized, grinning slightly as he glanced over at Micah. The boy nodded almost imperceptibly, and the two returned to looking for something to eat.

* * *

"They look like they're discussing something important," Calla said thoughtfully to Brad, who grunted, holding his own platter at his side while they waited for orders. 

"They didn't order yet?" he checked, and she shook her head.

"No. I don't know when I'm supposed to go back – she said in a few minutes, but judging from the looks on their faces, they wouldn't want an interru – never mind," she sighed, cutting herself off when one of the Asha'men, the older one, waved at her suddenly.

"My order's up anyway," the young man grinned, turning to retrieve the plates of food as Calla strode back over to the table reluctantly.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked, feeling foolish as the two Aes Sedai peered at her closely once more.

"Yes, thanks," the one who had waved her over nodded. She noticed several other Asha'men filing in, but quickly returned her attention to her current diners when the older one, appearing not much older than her, began to order. "I'll have the special, I think, and a bottle of whatever's the best stuff you have in the kitchen," he said, not really appearing to care what he ordered anyway. She scribbled the order down as the others at the table also began to order, and managed to keep up with them, to her relief.

"Is that all?" she checked, and when she was greeted with calm silence she mentally winced before smiled tightly. "I'll have them here as soon as possible."

"That will be fine," the White nodded, and the server quickly moved away, feeling rather stupid around the group and smarting under the uncomfortable silence.

* * *

"What a night," Birgitte sighed, falling over backwards onto her bunk as Anne climbed up to the top one, having already changed into her pajamas. 

"I don't know who had it harder, and I don't want to argue about it, either," Calla groaned, pulling her nightgown over her head and crawling under her blankets gratefully. "What a crazy night. I forgot they had the festival over in town."

"And of course, all the travelers are going to come here to eat," Noela added, flexing her fingers as she relaxed in her own bunk. "My hands are killing me from holding the pans for so long."

"At least we made overtime," Anne reminded them with a grin that the dark hid, her blankets already pulled over her head anyway. The girls shared a room in the basement of the hotel, where several workers did as well, and the room was rather small and pitch-black without a light on, lacking any windows.

"Good point," Calla agreed with a yawn, trying to stifle it without much success. "I'm going to sleep, guys. Someone wake me up if I'm still out."

"Sure thing," Birgitte replied cheerfully, her tone reminding the other girls how little sleep the blond seemed to need.

* * *

"_I am a part of you…I **am** you…this power is mine…"

* * *

_

"Wha…what a weird dream," Calla muttered to herself, waking up abruptly and rubbing her eyes. "What _was_ it there?" she wondered softly, rolling onto her stomach and heaving a sigh. The dream had been less vicious than previous ones, but no less disturbing. Someone continued to insist she had a power – and what was more incredible, that there was someone else inside her, who was really the one with the power. She had read all the history books, and learned of the Dragon being reincarnated to cleanse saidin, but wondered if he really was the reincarnation of Lews Therin Telamon or if he had just been fated to what he had become. Either way, she had no interest in dreams or fate; nevertheless, her own dreams disturbed her more than she was willing to admit to herself, and shivered despite the warm blankets.

"They're just dreams," she whispered, wishing there was some way to keep them out, even if they _were_ just dreams. They certainly weren't pleasant, and were giving her no end of troubles in her sleep.

"You okay?" Birgitte whispered, causing Calla to jump.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," the blond nodded, lying on her side to face Calla. "Bad dream?"

"Less than last time," the girl replied just as quietly, blinking rapidly to try to adjust her eyes to the darkness to see her friend. "Do you ever have any?"

"Sure I do – but I just ignore them, and they go away," she shrugged, her grin going unseen. "Just don't give them too much thought, that's all. We've got a couple hours extra, so try to get some more sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Calla agreed fervently, rolling onto her side and pulling the blankets over her head, burying down in the pillow in an attempt to forget the strange words she had heard in her dream.

* * *

"Someone was Channeling," Aurelia commented suddenly, looking up from her needlework to glance at Jayeuse. "Is it that girl?" 

"It isn't very strong," the Green replied doubtfully. "I'm not sure. No one else here is supposed to have the ability – perhaps Laasya is Dreamwalking to meet with the Amyrlin?"

"That may be the source," the other Aes Sedai nodded, but her tone revealed that she didn't think that was a very likely possibility. "We will have to ask her in the morning."

"Indeed," Jayeuse said shortly, before returning to the novel she was in the middle of reading.

* * *

I am not planning on having romance with Jaib and Calla, for a note. There was friendship between them, not romance, so nothing there, sorry. Please review. 


	3. Wheel of Destruction

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thank you, Mask1, for reviewing the previous chapter. I appreciate your comments, and love the questions. The ending of this is a little confusing, I know, but it's supposed to be. Enjoy!

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

About a week passed relatively quietly, much to the staff's delight. Having Aes Sedai, not to mention Asha'men, to serve was a tremendous honor for most of them, since neither group left their respective Towers very much anymore, and anything that might have upset the guests was quickly taken care of. 

To Calla's dismay, they had remained, and Birgitte hadn't seemed too happy to learn they would remain a while longer either.

"What the heck're they doing, anyway?" the blond grumbled, scrubbing the counter viciously.

"I'm sure we all want to know that," Calla said sympathetically, her elbow leaning on an area that was already cleaned, taking a short break between cleaning.

"What're you girls up to?" Brad asked curiously, sauntering in a few seconds later. "Shouldn't you be working?" he prodded Calla, but she only stuck her tongue out at him with a grin.

"Shouldn't _you_ be working too?" she replied pointedly, and he shrugged, taking the teasing in usual good nature. "And anyway, I'm on break for a while. There's no one to serve," he pointed out, gesturing towards the empty dining room.

"I guess I _should _be getting back to work," Calla admitted with a sigh, straightening up and heading towards the door. "I have a few more rooms to clean before room service should start calling."

"Have fun!" Birgitte called wickedly, a smirk on her lips. "I'll see if you need any help later, if I'm not busy!"

"Sure you will," the young woman shot back, knowing just as well as her friend that Birgitte would take any opportunity she would get to relax. "Thanks anyway!" Calla waved back at the pair as she headed through the dining room and into the hallway, its high ceiling reaching to the top of the four large stories. A grand staircase weaved its way through all the floors, balconies built into it to breach the gap between the staircase and aisles. Done in red and gold, as was the rest of the hotel, it was a splendid sight, intricate carvings dealt into the walls on each floor.

Taking a moment to admire the sight, as she usually did, Calla quickly began to make her way to the third floor, dreading passing the second level, where the chambers that held the Aes Sedai and Asha'men were located. She always seemed to run into one of the Aes Sedai, and it made her more uncomfortable with each encounter. Sure enough, a door opened and closed out of her range of sight as she passed the level, and she groaned quietly, sure she was about to be interrogated by one of the Aes Sedai yet again.

To her surprise, it wasn't any of the women she dreaded, but the Asha'man that had bumped her in the hallway a few days ago. She had seen him in the dining room a few times since then, but none of the Asha'men had been seen throughout the hotel very much, unlike the Aes Sedai. When they did show up, though, it was always in pairs, or groups of three or four, and they seemed to be on their way to something, never just wandering around, as the Brown Aes Sedai often did.

"Hello," he greeted her pleasantly, and she looked at him in amazement. She saw no other Asha'man around, for one thing, and the fact that he had addressed her at all was another surprise.

"He-hello," she replied nervously, backing up so she wouldn't have to tilt her head quite so far to look at him. She was curious how someone so obviously descended from the Aiel became an Asha'man, since the Aiel had always been very close-knit as a community, and they rarely ventured into another group, especially one like the men who wielded saidin.

"My name is Sy," he continued, and she was unable to keep her jaw from dropping, unable to figure out what was going on.

"Uhm…my name is Calla," she said quietly, backing away a little more, hoping he would go away.

"You're our server, aren't you?" he asked curiously, fully knowing the answer. The night before, in a strategy conference with Flinn and several others, someone had suggested Sy making contact with her, following the original plan and replacing Jaib. Despite his protests, the plan had been accepted in full, and the young man cursed his fate.

"Yes," she nodded, looking around hopefully, waiting for someone to show up in interrupt.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Calla," he told her with a grin, showing off a small bow before heading downstairs where she finally realized two other Asha'men were waiting impatiently. Releasing her breath in a sigh of relief before she knew she was holding it, Calla turned and quickly skipped up the staircase, disappearing into a room as soon as possible.

* * *

"It looks like you scared the hell out of her, Sy," Kiel mentioned, an Asha'man in his late twenties that had earned the Silver Sword, and was in command of the present group. He was on the short side, compared to the others, but his ice-blue eyes revealed that he had been in many vicious encounters, as did the scar that had mangled his left ear. 

"Well, it wasn't my fault," the young man grumbled, and glared at the other man present, a man in his early twenties names Pyotr. None of the men who wielded saidin seemed to live past their fifties, with only a few exceptions over the years, and the majority of the Tower was younger than thirty.

"Real slick," the black-haired man commented with a grin. His eyes were also dark, and the current mission was his third of such importance.

"Would you two shut up?" Sy demanded, turning on the blond commander. "Aren't we supposed to going somewhere?" he hinted, and Kiel nodded.

"Yes. The others are waiting down the street," he told them, heading for the door as he spoke. The rest of the Asha'men – the ones that had only been briefly in the Palace – had found a smaller inn to remain in, since neither Tower wanted to openly display the fact that there was such a great amount of Asha'men anywhere. It was bad enough the seven Sisters would be seen together, they reasoned – a greater show of force would cause them to lose their advantage in case the town was indeed brought into the war.

"Fine," the annoyed young man huffed, stalking after the other two a moment later.

* * *

"What was all that about?" Calla wondered, snapping the fresh sheets into the air and watching as they floated down to the mattress. "I wish they would just all leave," she complained, tucking the sheets in. She continued her routine for several more minutes in silence, before wincing and grabbing her head. Lights began to flash in front of her eyes, and she lowered herself to her knees as she gripped head in pain. 

"Help…" she managed, not nearly as loud as she had tried to yell, before collapsing unconscious on the floor.

* * *

"Damn it," Sy muttered, feeling the ward he had placed on her begin to waver. "Something's going on," he informed Flinn, who looked up in surprise and nodded. 

"All right – see what you can do when you get there," the elder man ordered, glancing at Kiel. "You both go. Report back as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir," Kiel saluted, and rushed after Sy, who had headed out as soon as his commander had given permission. The Asha'men were determined not to let the Aes Sedai monopolize their mission, and if anything was going to happen, the ward was to ensure they would know, and be able to have some influence in the situation.

* * *

"Dear child!" Aurelia gasped, rushing in the room, Terezihna calmly following her. The two Sisters had been close enough to sense the weak channeling, and immediately located it with a quick check. The Yellow Sister knelt on the floor beside the young woman, who had broken out into a sweat and was murmuring fitfully. 

"Another Foretelling?" the Red suggested, as the other began to Heal the woman.

"None of the others Foretold in this manner," the other Aes Sedai began to argue, but Terezihna only shrugged.

"None of the others could potentially use both saidin and saidar," she reminded her coolly. "I doubt she is going to follow the rules in how she is supposed to receive a Foretelling. Is she ill?"

"No – but she is channeling," Aurelia pointed out, the glow visible to both women. "She is in a Foretelling – I don't know if it is wise to do anything."

"We can't let her die on us, can we?" the Red pointed out. "You can Heal her – do it. If it disrupts it, then there is nothing we can do."

"All right," Aurelia nodded, her usual calm and practical exterior always shaken when her job as Healer was needed. The Sister was one of the best Healers in the Tower, and the care she took with her patients, and passion with which she continued to improve herself, always amazed the others. Laying her hand on the young woman's forehead, she closed her eyes in concentration as saidar began to flow into Calla. After a moment, she gasped and let go, her eyes widening in surprise.

"What is it?" Terezihna demanded, as the Yellow rocked back on her heels.

"I could feel it…saidin," she said, obviously shaken. "It wasn't as strong, but it was definitely present in her."

"What is going on?" Sy demanded, both Asha'men gasping for breath as they burst into the room. They had Traveled from across town to the Palace, but the effort had left them breathless, and running up the staircase hadn't helped much either.

"She is having a Foretelling," Aurelia supplied, as the Red Sister's mouth twisted in distaste at the sight of the two men. "I have Healed her – I do not know if that disrupted it."

"Then why did you do it?" Kiel challenged them, and Aurelia was once again left to speak.

"She was in pain," the Sister explained. "I had no choice. She cannot be allowed to die."

"I suppose that ward came to some use," Terezihna commented snidely, and the two men both winced, having hoped that the Blue Sister would not share the information with the Red. Unfortunately, each of the Aes Sedai knew the Asha'men had created a direct link to the young woman, and were equally determined not to give control to the men.

"Yes, it did," Sy agreed coolly, glaring openly at the blond woman. The Aes Sedai stared back for a moment before snorting, and forcing her way past them.

"I will inform Laasya Sedai of this," she said sourly, knowing Aurelia would remain to ensure Calla's safety. Both Asha'men sighed audibly in relief when the Sister swept from the room, the door closing behind her, much more comfortable with any of the Sisters than her.

"We can watch her," Kiel informed the Yellow Sister stiffly. "There is no need for Aurelia Sedai to trouble herself."

"Yes, there is, if she is still in pain," the Aes Sedai said calmly, not even glancing at them. "Asha'men cannot Heal. I have no idea what power she has, or the effect it may have on her. I shall remain here."

The two men exchanged unhappy grimaces before standing near the door, in case anyone tried to enter the room. Several moments later, the prone young woman groaned softly, moving around slightly.

"Be careful," Aurelia cautioned her, placing a supporting hand on her shoulder as the young woman tried to raise herself off the floor.

"A-Aes Sedai?" Calla stammered, her face draining of any color the Healing had restored.

"I sensed channeling nearby, and you were the source," the Yellow Sister told her, deciding to be direct. "You were unconscious when I arrived – you appeared to be in pain, and I Healed you. How do you feel now?"

"I have a headache," the young woman admitted nervously, and drew back from the Aes Sedai's hand as Aurelia moved to Heal her. "No – please, it isn't all that bad," she added with a shaky laugh, but she froze when she caught sight of the two Asha'men near the door. Aurelia noticed Calla hadn't addressed channeling yet, and once again took the initiative.

"The Asha'men also sensed the channeling," she informed calmly, helping the girl sit upright. "What happened, child?"

"I…I had a headache," Calla said sullenly. "And passed out, I guess."

"Does it happen often?" the Sister pressed, ignoring the glares of the men.

"I get headaches…I think this is the first time I've passed out," the young woman replied, still recovering her senses from the shock. Aurelia knew the girl hadn't yet regained control of her tongue, and pressed her advantage a bit further, though gently.

"What did you see?" she asked quietly, and Calla looked at her in surprise before lifting a hand to her head.

"Pictures of things…a fire – something was on fire," she said suddenly, her eyes widening slightly as she remembered. "And – and flashes of something. I don't remember," she said dejectedly, and abruptly realized what had just happened. Knowing it was too late to take it all back, she winced and waited for the next thing the Aes Sedai would say.

"Child…you have a Talent," Aurelia informed her gently, knowing there would be no better time to confront the young woman. "I believe what you just had was a Foretelling – you saw the future."

"What? No!" Calla argued, shooting to her feet and gripping the footboard as she swayed. "Not me!" she protested, clearly panicking. "I don't have any kind of power – I just get headaches!"

"Child, there is no need to be so frightened," the Yellow Sister said soothingly. "Foretelling is a rare Talent – that is why we came. To determine whether you had it or not. And to teach you, if you did."

"You want to bring me back and lock me up!" Calla said accusingly, not relishing the idea of going to the Tower. "I'm not going – I don't have any power," she said stubbornly, shaking her head and backing towards the door, forgetting about the two Asha'men. They remained still, however, as the young woman's hand gripped the handle.

"No, dear child," Aurelia told her. "Not at all. But you might hurt yourself, if you are unable to control it."

"Foretelling is out of the person's control – everyone's known that since Lews Therin was reborn," Calla argued. "I can't control it!"

"You tap into saidar to use it, child," Aurelia continued. "You might use it somehow in another way, and it might kill you. You _must_ receive schooling."

"No!" the young woman cried, opening the door. "You can't make me go!" she spat out, before rushing from the room. Aurelia sighed, looking slightly defeated, and Kiel shook his head while Sy groaned.

"That went well," the redhead commented dryly. "Now she knows almost everything, Aurelia Sedai. What now?"

"I must council with the other Aes Sedai first," the Yellow Sister informed them, though not rudely. The Yellow Sister accepted them almost as much as the Green did, and as long as they did not disobey her, she saw no harm in sharing some knowledge. "You had best report to Flinn concerning this incident. You!" she added, as the two men moved to leave. Sy turned, knowing what she was going to say. To his surprise, she did not order him to follow the young woman, but something else. "You will accompany me and serve as a second witness to this," she ordered. "Laasya Sedai may have need of an Asha'man opinion. Perhaps."

"All right, Aurelia Sedai," Sy agreed, although reluctantly. Kiel had left as soon as it was clear she wanted nothing from him, and the remaining Asha'man waited until the Aes Sedai swept from the room in the manner they all seemed to have before following her down the hall.

* * *

"What on earth is wrong?" Birgitte asked in surprise, as Calla sprinted into the kitchen and into her friend's arms. "What happened?" she prodded, holding the sobbing girl comfortingly. 

"The…Aes Sedai want to take me away," she managed through hiccups, thoroughly frightened.

"_What_?" the blond demanded in shock. "Why?"

"She said I have a Talent," Calla told her friend.

"Who? What Talent?"

"The one in yellow….Foretelling, or something like that," the young woman said, calming down slightly thanks to her friend's questions. Birgitte took a moment to consider this information, having thought Calla could channel as well but having said nothing, and then sighed.

"You can't run away – they'll find you eventually," she said. "Just stay with me for now. Where are Noela and Anne?"

"I don't know –I just ran," Calla told her, and Birgitte stroked her hair soothingly.

"Don't worry, we won't let them take you," she assured the young woman with a smile. "Trust me, Calla."

* * *

"The Aes Sedai are making their move," the man said sharply, standing near the fireplace. The stone walls were draped with black velvet, and the heavy wooden furniture was occupied by several others. Hoods shadowed their faces from the others, and the only light was from the burning flames. 

"She won't go," a woman's voice said calmly. There appeared to be three men and two women, all in black, but none seemed to be on friendly terms with the others.

"How can you be so certain?" another male voice hissed from the far end of the room, sitting alone. "They are powerful."

"And the Asha'men are with them," the first man said thoughtfully.

"They are weaklings," a second woman said, her voice thick with scorn. "They will not pose a challenge."

"Are you sure?" the hissing voice protested. "Together…"

"Is anyone suggesting we strike?" the first man asked in amusement, apparently the one in charge at the moment. The voices fell silent as the others considered their options, before the third man spoke up, previously silent.

"I will go," he volunteered. "I will bring her to us. That power cannot fall into their hands."

* * *

"Unbelievable…" Iline murmured, the Sisters having heard the story from Aurelia and Sy. 

"To think things could fall apart so quickly," the White Sister snapped. "Now what do you suggest, Laasya Sedai?"

"Taking her back in this condition would hardly be to our advantage," the dark-skinned Blue said. "Perhaps if we let her alone for a bit, there may be a change."

"That seems doubtful," Esme said calmly, "After all, according to Aurelia, she was terrified."

"Not of us," the Yellow protested. "Of the idea, it seemed. She didn't even notice the Asha'men when she left."

"Could she have realized it?" the Gray Sister continued, forming the question.

"No," Aurelia shook her head firmly. "She most definitely did not know she could channel, or that she had a Talent."

"All right," Laasya nodded. "We will remain in the background for a bit longer, to see what happens. Asha'man, do you have any suggestions?"

"The ward is still active," he offered. "Flinn may not be opposed the idea of keeping guard on her until we leave."

"They are active," Terezihna said suddenly, flinching. "I feel saidar warping."

"No!" Iline gasped. "They cannot be woken already! It is too soon!"

"The worst is happening," Jayeuse said grimly, the first words she had spoken during the council. "Asha'man, keep a close guard on her. And inform Flinn he should post Asha'man throughout the Palace with wards."

"Against what?" Flinn demanded, striding into the room. Kiel followed close behind, with Jaib on his other side. Although Bonded to the Green Aes Sedai, he had been called away for the meeting, the only times he left her.

"They are moving," the Red sister repeated coldly, fear only reinforcing her desire to settle the matter. The commander visibly whitened, but remained steady.

"You can't be serious," he said calmly, as Jaib moved to his Aes Sedai and placed a hand on her shoulder. The Sisters were obviously shaken at Terezihna's announcement, and looked unsure what to do next – an odd thing indeed.

"I always am," she informed him stiffly. Esme rose to her feet swiftly, Iline moving with her.

"I shall return to the Tower and inform the Amyrlin of this personally," the Gray Sister said firmly. "This information cannot be imparted in a letter – the risks are too great."

"Take two of my Asha'men," Flinn ordered, leaving no room for argument. The two Aes Sedai nodded in acknowledgement of his words before striding from the room quickly, haste apparent in their movements.

"This situation has grown dangerous far more quickly than I had anticipated," Laasya said finally, breaking a long silence.

* * *

I'm not planning on bringing more Forsaken into the mix, but you'll have to keep reading to find out what's going on. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review. 


	4. Wheel of Power

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Thanks for the encouraging reviews! I'm really getting into this story, and had to post this chapter for you guys. It's longer than usual, but the action really gets going in this one. Enjoy!

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"I can't channel." Calla said stubbornly, sitting on her bunk with Noela and Anne on either side. Birgitte reclined in her own bed, glancing at the group but remaining silent. 

"That's so cool!" Anne said, continuing to ignore the obvious fact that her friend was not happy at the idea of going to the White Tower. "You're so lucky – getting to become an Aes Sedai!"

"No one said I was going to become one!" Calla shouted suddenly, losing control of her temper. "I –can't – channel! And I am _not_ going to become an Aes Sedai! I'm not going to any Tower, and they can't make me! I'm going to stay here until the delusional Aes Sedai go away!"

"If you yell any louder, they'll hear you," Birgitte remarked calmly, and received a dirty look in return. Grinning easily, the blond swung her legs over the side of the bed and shrugged. "Girls, let's let Calla get some rest before she beats us all to death in our sleep, all right? We can talk about it later."

"Good idea," Noela agreed fervently, not wanting to get in the middle of any argument between the two. Glancing over at Calla, she climbed into her bunk without another word, and Anne reluctantly moved to her own as well. Calla sighed heavily and flopped onto her back, hiding her face with a pillow.

"Why is this happening to me?" she groaned, and Birgitte shook her head.

"Who knows? Let's get some sleep," she suggested, flicking the light off. "Good night."

"Night," Calla mumbled, not moving an inch.

* * *

To her surprise, she had no dreams that night, and woke feeling completely refreshed. She had no way of knowing that the Aes Sedai had created a ward inside her mind in an attempt to discourage any more Foretellings, and to protect against any intrusion. Remembering that it was her day off, which she had once a month, she tossed her uniform in the basket for a washing and dressed in low-heeled black boots that rose to her knees, and a loose burgundy-colored skirt that fell to her calves, with a snug cream-colored shirt with a scoop collar and short sleeves, along with a narrow black belt. The collar was a modest scoop, and she let her hair go straight and loose, reaching a little past her shoulder blades. 

"Going anywhere?" Birgitte mumbled, still hiding under the covers. Noela and Anne had already disappeared, most likely for breakfast, and Calla shook her head in surprise.

"No, just for breakfast and to the library to catch up on my reading," she said, referring to the large reading room that was located on the first floor of the Palace. "Why? Want to come?"

"Hell no," the blond shot back, putting the pillow firmly over her head. Shrugging with a smile, Calla exited the room quietly, shutting the door behind her and heading up the stairs to the main hall, looking forward to catch up on the series she was currently occupied with.

* * *

Not even looking around for Aes Sedai or Asha'men, not wanting to see any if they were around, she headed to the kitchen for breakfast, finding only Johnson there and discovering Noela and Anne had left for shopping a few hours before. Quickly eating the eggs and bacon he provided, washing it down with some juice, she left the busy man alone and slipped into the hall once more, not seeing anyone around. 

"I guess most people are still asleep," she shrugged, remembering it was a holiday for a lot of workers. Heading toward the library, the stairway in her sight, she jumped when a hooded figure spoke to her, standing close to her.

"Hello, darling," the voice whispered, and she whirled around to see a tall figure, in a black robe and a hood shadowing his eyes, smiling down at her. She placed the voice as male, and took a step away from him before he grabbed her arm. She noticed his skin was pale, and the robe was old-fashioned and intricately embroidered.

"Wh-who are you?" she demanded nervously, sensing a strange power emanating from him.

"I am Erasmus," he told her, his voice still in a whisper and his lips close to her ear. "I am here to show you the power you can attain, with our help."

"Our?" she repeated, trying to pull away and only being held closer.

"Yes, darling," he smirked. His breath was warm on the side of her face, and she twisted around in disgust. "We are not entirely of this world, nor of the next. We have served Heartsbane for centuries, following in the footsteps of the Great Ones."

"What are you?" Calla tried again. "And who are you people? What do you want with me?"

"We want you to join us," Erasmus said softly. "I have already told you. We are creatures of the One Power, of Heartsbane's might."

"F-Forsaken?" she stammered in horror, having heard tales of the thirteen Dreadlords. "B-but…"

"Not Forsaken, darling," he assured her, smiling at her fright. "We are not of them – they are ancient, and defeated. We are the Hand of Heartsbane."

"Hand…" she murmured. For some reason, the name struck a chord in her, and she wondered why it did. She was sure she had never heard of it, but the call was irresistible. "Why do you want me?" she demanded, pushing him away. To her surprise, he stepped back of his own free will, and she took several long steps away from him, facing off the man whose eyes she could not see.

"Darling, you can wield both saidin and saidar," he crooned, a smile playing on his lips. "One of your power could do so many things! Heartsbane wishes to help you realize your potential, darling."

"I have no power!" she cried in frustration. "I never have!"

"Ah, but darling, you are mistaken," he corrected her.

Calla stared at him for a long moment, flashes of her nightmares coming back to her, and Aurelia's words echoed in her mind. In a sudden bolt of realization, she realized that everything the Aes Sedai had said, and everything the man before her was saying now, was true.

"I see you have realized I speak the truth," Erasmus said, sounding congratulatory. "May I be the first to welcome you."

"No!" she spat out, taking another step back. "I won't! I won't serve the Dark One – the Father of Lies! Stay away from me – I won't help you!"

A frown crossed Erasmus' face, and his eyes suddenly became visible to her – brilliantly-bright green spots of light, with flecks of blackness floating inside of them. She stared at him in shock, and they locked gazes for a long moment, as he considered what he could do. He sensed persuasion would never work, and decided to take her by force.

"I think you shall agree, in time, darling," he growled, raising his hand toward her. She stared as white-hot flames began to spread throughout his hand, growing in intensity and size. Turning away from the brightness, Calla shrieked as the flames moved toward her, and the heat felt like it was burning her skin off. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of a way to escape, and the images of fire and flashes came into her mind. Without knowing what she was doing, she spun around towards him and stared intently at the approaching flames, suddenly seeing how they were created. Narrowing her eyes, Calla began to weave flows together without thinking how she was able to, and jumped when a burst of energy shot from her. Fireballs flew from her fingertips and rained down upon the surprised man, and she was to later learn that the power was 'balefire'.

* * *

"What is going on?" Daelyn shouted, running out onto the aisle and looking down in shock as the man in black created a ward to defend against the balefire. "Balefire!" the White gasped, and whirled around as Jayeuse arrived. 

"What do we do?" the Green Sister wondered, Warder by her side.

"They'll burn the place down in a moment," Jaib commented, looking around as the Palace began to catch on fire.

"Quickly, Jayeuse!" Daelyn commanded, and began to weave Water, Spirit, and Air to create a funnel of water, drenching the nearby area. Unfortunately, the blaze was quickly growing too fierce for the two Sisters, and Jaib pulled them aside as a piece of ceiling collapsed.

"We have to get out," he told them. "The other Sisters are not here – they'll be safe."

"We can't let them kill each other!" Jayeuse argued, but yelped as her Warder grabbed and began to rush toward a window. Daelyn, realizing what he was doing, channeled Air to prevent injuries, and calmly floated down after them.

* * *

"Son of the Dark One!" Sy swore, rushing in. The man in black had been wounded, but not destroyed, by the balefire, and Calla had woven a shield to protect herself from his attacks. The Asha'man, unsure what to do, rushed forward anyway, but froze when he sensed saidin being channeled, and he realized that it was coming from the young woman. Watching, he saw a Gateway begin to open – directly in the middle of the stranger. 

"We will never be beaten by you!" Erasmus shouted to her, as the Gateway began to destroy him. Calla remained still as the man was ripped apart, and suddenly cried out as saidin filled her, consuming her.

"Don't give in!" Sy yelled, moving forward and trying to create a weave to block her. "It will consume you!" he warned her, taking heed of the burning Palace, which was now fully ablaze and beginning to fall apart. Calla remained frozen for a long moment, pain flowing through her as the Source channeled into her, before something suddenly sealed it away. Gasping for air, she slumped to the floor, barely conscious from the shock.

"Get out!" Pyotr cried from the doorway, looking for his comrade. "Now!"

Wondering what had blocked the Source off, knowing it wasn't any ward an Asha'man could use, Sy hefted the young woman to his shoulder and made a dash for the doorway, avoiding bursts of fire as wood and fabric exploded into flames.

* * *

Calla awoke painfully almost two days later, and found herself in a strange, yet comfortable, bed. Glancing around, barely able to move her head, she saw it was a small room that appeared to be on a high level, if the window view was anything to judge by, and she didn't recognize her surroundings at all. Stiffening in nervousness, panic began to seize her, and she gasped for air as her throat contracted in fear. 

"Calm yourself, child," Aurelia said soothingly, stepping quickly into the room the moment she felt the ward on the young woman began to shift. "You are quite fine now. Mostly. We are in the town of Haisyn, and you have been asleep for quite some time. I have Healed most of your injuries – burns you suffered in the Palace," the Sister reminded her gently. Both the Aes Sedai and Asha'men were unsure what exactly had happened, and felt it best not to put too much strain on the young woman responsible until she was healthy again. Aurelia chose not to tell her patient that her burns had not been only from the fire, but the attacks of the stranger, as well as the balefire Calla herself had created. There had also been extensive injuries to her muscles and nervous system, and although Aurelia was extremely skilled, it would still take time for everything to completely mend.

"Haisyn?" Calla repeated, her throat dry. Aurelia helped her sit up a little and held a cup of water to her lips.

"Drink this," she ordered, "It is only water, child. Now, do relax. You are not going to be hurt."

"What…happened?" the young woman asked groggily. "The fire…"

"Consumed the Palace," Aurelia told her reluctantly. "Not many were injured, thanks to the efforts of the Asha'men. You friend Birgitte found us not long afterwards, and is downstairs waiting to see you. She refused to leave."

"I don't…channel?"

"You did channel, dear child – saidin and saidar both," the Yellow told her calmly, her hand resting on the young woman's pale one. "You must trust us, child, if you are going to live any longer. What on earth happened? Do you know who that stranger was?"

"Er-Erasmus," Calla said, taking a long moment to remember. "He said something about a Hand, and Heartsbane. And Forsaken…but not them," she said brokenly, and Aurelia paused for a few minutes to untangle the thoughts.

"He said he was part of a Hand, served Heartsbane, and they were not Forsaken?" she guessed, and Calla nodded.

"Yes…he wanted me to come with him."

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't," Daelyn said primly, surprising both occupants as she strode in purposefully. "I came to see how she was doing ," she explained calmly. "If she is able to talk, Laasya should speak with her. And Flinn, I suppose," she added. She didn't care either way about the Asha'men, and if they were needed or forced upon the Aes Sedai, she accepted it with a calmness most Sisters envied.

"She can talk, but not well," Aurelia objected. "Send her friend up here – perhaps seeing her will help."

"Please," Calla said quietly, and the White Sister considered everything for a moment before nodding curtly.

"I will tell Laasya, then. She will be here in a moment," she added, referring to Birgitte as she left the room.

"Thank you," Aurelia nodded, and turned back to Calla. "You were taken with us – the Aes Sedai and Asha'men – to the next town for our safety. I have heard mention of this Erasmus, but I will have to speak to the others for more information. For now, rest and regain your strength. I will Heal you later, if you require it further." The Aes Sedai finished as Birgitte burst into the room and flew towards the bed, completely ignoring the presence of Aurelia as she collapsed onto the bed beside her friend and drew Calla's head to her shoulder, acting more like a mother than a friend. Aurelia discreetly exited the room, leaving Birgitte crying in her friend's hair, while Calla tried to reassure her.

"I was so worried about you!" the blond wailed, and suddenly snapped back into her practical mode, something which she did quite often when emotional. "I made them take me along, though, once I found out they had you," she added primly, leaning back a little. "There was no way I was going to leave you alone. Especially with that Asha'man slinging you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes!"

"Asha'man?" Calla repeated in confusion, the memories still dim. She realized bandages were on several places on her body, and she was wearing a white gown she hadn't seen before.

"That tall one – the Aiel one," Birgitte informed her. "I made him be more careful, of course. And I bumped into Noela and Anne while looking for you – Noela was out of her mind with worry . But I told them what I knew, and made them promise to stay together until we came back."

"In town?" the young woman asked.

"Yep," her friend nodded in self-satisfaction. "Nothing else was damaged, except for the Palace. The Asha'men created a Gateway to get here quickly, but that Red Sister refused to go into it. Once I found her, I just followed her to you!"

"How do you know what a Gateway is?" Calla asked curiously, not even knowing what one was herself.

"Friend in Tower, remember?" Birgitte reminded her with a grin, hugging her tightly again. "And lucky for you I knew about one! Or else I'd have thought they just disappeared!"

"Thanks," Calla mumbled into her friend's shoulder, grateful the blond was so bold and rash as to stalk a Red Sister and then challenge the whole bunch upon arrival.

"Hey, we got to stick together," the blond assured her. "I'm so glad you're awake. It's been almost two days since it happened."

"Two days?" the young woman repeated in amazement. "I was sleeping this entire time?"

"Yep."

"We require some time to talk to Calla, Birgitte," Laasya said, knocking before entering the room. "It won't take long, and you may wait outside." Birgitte eyed the Aes Sedai suspiciously, spotting the Brown, White, and Yellow Sisters behind the Blue before sighing and releasing her friend, getting to her feet stiffly.

"All right," she decided, tossing a wink towards her friend before moving past the Aes Sedai to wait in the hall.

"She is a good friend," Laasya commented, as Iline shut the door behind them. The Brown Sister had indeed gone with the Gray Sister, Esme, to the White Tower, but had returned in a rush when a message reached her, telling of the strange incidents. The Sister was well-versed in history and obscure texts, and her knowledge was needed. "Terezihna is downstairs – we're a bit overwhelming all at once," the Blue Sister continued, noticing Calla's search for the missing colors. Calla saw the twinkle in the woman's eyes, and decided that she couldn't be as bad as people said.

"Aurelia informed us of what you said," Iline began, a bit eagerly as she sat on the edge of the girl's bed. "Now, this Erasmus – do you remember what words he used when he mentioned the Hand?"

"Um…" Calla hesitated, taken aback by the sudden questioning, but Birgitte's attitude had cleared her mind somewhat, and it was easier to find the answers than before. "He said something about the Forsaken being defeated. He mentioned a Hand of Heartsbane, and said they were creatures of him."

"Did he specifically say he was not a Forsaken?" the Brown pressed, and Calla nodded.

"Yes."

"What else, child?" Aurelia asked gently, shooting a warning look towards the eager Brown.

"I don't know," Calla shook her head. "He mentioned serving Heartsbane for centuries, and said that he wanted me. For my power…" she trailed off uneasily, the man's words ringing in her ears harshly.

"Hmm…" Iline stood and began to pace near the window, and Laasya took her empty place. Daelyn remained near the door, her face completely blank, while Aurelia stood near the foot of the bed, watching for any sign that Healing was necessary.

"You were very strong, to resist him," the Blue Sister said quietly, her words of praise seeming sincere. "The fireballs you created are called balefire, and are quite powerful. The fact that he was not destroyed by them alone is a testament to his power."

"He's not…he's not dead?" the young woman asked, frightened, but Laasya quickly shook her head reassuringly.

"Not to fear, he is most definitely no longer in existence," she said. "However, it was a Gateway that destroyed him…one you created. And a Gateway not only takes a great deal of power, over the centuries it has become a weave used by saidin. Only a few Aes Sedai are capable of creating a complete one with saidar."

"I used…saidin?" Calla whispered, her eyes large.

"Yes."

"It is most interesting," Iline mused, staring out the window with shiny black eyes. "The Hand of Heartsbane is rumored to have been in existence for centuries, formed not long after the Forsaken were all defeated. They were not as powerful at that time, and with the Dark One sealed away, they were thought to have faded from existence."

"There is at least one female," Daelyn reminded her sharply. "Saidar was warped."

"Yes," Iline nodded impatiently, hating interruptions. "There are five of them – four, now. Erasmus was not the leader, at least, I don't believe he was. But for them to appear like this…it is the anomaly," she said, with a glance at Calla. "Of course they would desire this power. If she is strong enough, or forced to exert all her power at once, she may break the seals on the Dark One."

"But…"

"The strength she showed at the Palace was created under extreme stress," Daelyn said firmly. "It is no different then when a wilder is subjected to Compulsion." The word sent shivers through the other Aes Sedai in the room, but Daelyn continued on. "In a way it was Compulsion, with Erasmus threatening her life with saidin. I do not think she will be that strong, or else she would have begun to channel long ago."

"Her Foretellings, Daelyn," Laasya prodded, and the White Sister paused for another moment before continuing, her mind working quickly to fit pieces together.

"They are not an active use of either saidin or saidar," the White said. "It is her ability to channel both saidar and saidin that is the anomaly - and the danger. Even if she is not powerful at physical channeling, that alone might prove quite destructive."

"I think we should continue this later," Aurelia said tactfully, interrupting the other's grim line of thought when she noticed Calla's pale face. "She needs rest and food, and Flinn should be told of these things."

"Yes," Laasya agreed, rising to her feet. With a glance at Calla that looked almost like pity, she left the room without another word, following by a muttering Iline and a thin-lipped Daelyn, who looked displeased at being cut off. Aurelia moved over to Calla to feel her forehead before smiling at her.

"You don't have a fever. I will bring up some food for you in a little bit. Try to get some rest, and don't worry about what Daelyn said," the Yellow Sister assured the girl. "We are hardly experienced in such a situation to make decisions so quickly. Get some sleep."

Calla watched as the Sister left the room, and then noticed it had grown dark outside during their conversation. Yawning, she realized that she was indeed tired, and fell into a calm sleep within minutes.

* * *

Big paragraphs! Yeesh. Please review. 


	5. Wheel of Contradiction

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I fixed the name to Birgitte, as it is in the books, if anyone notices. For reasons yet to be explained, so don't ask. I like revealing things as they go. Thank you for all your reviews, questions that make me really think and work, and encouragment! This story is doing so much better than I could have hoped, and you guys are to thank for that. As I said, relationships and plot development are for this - no action at all. It'll be like this for a while, I hope. I don't want to rush anything. I hope you all like it! And for a side note: Erasmus means lovable, of all things. I didn't know that when I chose it - all names are for them are random, meanings don't matter, and I've already decided on names for the Hand.

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"You shouldn't be moving around, child," Aurelia chastised the young woman the next day, but Calla shifted restlessly in the bed, her feet swinging over the side. 

"I can't just sit here!" she protested, stifling a cough that rose in her throat. The Yellow Aes Sedai frowned knowingly at her, but sighed after a moment, nodding slightly.

"All right, you may get out of bed. But you will remain in this room, with someone here at all times," the woman ordered, her tone booking no argument. Calla opened her mouth to say something, but instead muttered something under her breath and looked around for clothing.

"Is there anything for me to wear, at least?" she asked, and Aurelia nodded.

"Yes – here, your friend picked it up for you the day before," the Aes Sedai informed her, handing her a package. Calla eagerly opened it, to find black flats and a navy gown that fell to her shoes, with a scoop neck and loose medieval-cut sleeves, all with black trim. It was simple and comfortable, the style of most clothing of their times, and fit almost perfectly.

"Thank you," Calla said reluctantly, taking a brush from the woman and straightening her hair out.

"You're welcome," Aurelia nodded, a smile on her lips, as she turned. "Your friend is otherwise occupied, so an Asha'man will be here shortly. I believe you have already met him."

"What?" the young woman demanded, looking at the door in surprise, but too late to protest as the woman swept from the room. Glaring at the wood, she remained sitting on the edge of the bed, wondering which one it would be, since she had met several, but didn't have to wait long.

"Hello," Sy greeted her, ducking slightly to avoid smacking his head on the frame.

"You?" Calla managed, staring at him. He only grinned back, shutting the door and taking a seat near it, lounged in an available chair, while she took a moment to process everything. Blinking, she realized how rude she was being, and quickly flushed as she averted her gaze. "Um…I should thank you…for what you did," she said quietly, having been told he had been the one to drag her out of the Palace. He looked at her for a moment before shrugging, trying to stifle a yawn. It was obvious he had been awake for a long while, and meant no insult towards her.

"No problem," he said, once he unclenched his jaw. "That was a hell of a fire, though. I'm impressed."

"I'm not," she muttered, and he quickly looked abashed. They remained in relative silence as Calla stared out the window restlessly, watching several birds fly past. After a few minutes, she gripped the bedpost and pulled herself to her feet, trying not to wince at the motion, something which the Asha'man easily noticed.

"Hey there!" he exclaimed, leaping forward as he knees buckled and she folded up. Gripping her underneath her arms, he picked her up easily and lowered her back to a chair nearer the window, stepping back quickly. "You shouldn't be moving around so much," he admonished her, and Calla almost choked as he used almost the exact words the Aes Sedai had. "Are you all right?" he asked, noticing her trouble, but she waved her hand as she nodded, swallowing thickly.

"It's nothing," she said hoarsely, before clearing her throat. "Sorry," she apologized. "Thanks again."

"Couldn't let you take a tumble," Sy told her, resuming his seat. "They'd probably kill me, or something equally drastic."

* * *

"I will accompany Laasya Sedai and return to the White Tower with Esme Sedai," Daelyn said firmly. "The Amyrlin will need more help there if the Hand is indeed active." 

"Laasya Sedai is in charge of the mission!" Aurelia objected. "That goes against the Amyrlin's orders."

"We did not expect these things to happen," Daelyn continued, unruffled at the interruption. "Esme Sedai will surely require our assistance with a report thus far."

"Terezihna Sedai, Aurelia Seda, and Iline Sedai will remain," Laasya informed them. "Jayeuse is the liaison between the Aes Sedai and Asha'men on this mission, and she will speak to Flinn on what will be necessary before returning to the Tower. I am positive Aurelia's Healing and Iline's knowledge will both be needed, as well as Terezihna's power."

"The numbers are making her nervous," the Red Sister said sharply. "That is why you are leaving."

"There is no need for us to be here at this time," Laasya replied coolly. "But yes. And if she is nervous, our task is only that much more difficult. We will have an Asha'man create a Gateway for us immediately. I am sure Esme is either already at the White Tower, or waiting for Iline's return. It is best."

"If you say so, Laasya Sedai," Terezihna sneered, making her anger at being passed over for leadership obvious with her tone of voice.

"I shall have Jaib send word to the Asha'men," Jayeuse agreed calmly. "Shall the Asha'men be leaving?"

"No – their strength is needed, I fear," Laasya said sharply. "Only two will accompany us to the White Tower, whoever Flinn chooses."

"Very well," Jayeuse agreed, inclining her head slightly and heading for the door, where her Warder was waiting for orders. She closed the door behind her, and Laasya also rose to her feet. Daelyn had been standing from the beginning, and looked impatient to be going.

"There is much work to be done," the Blue Sister said softly, and the others nodded in agreement, some more curtly than others.

"It will be as it is meant to be," Aurelia promised, and Terezihna snorted briefly.

"It shall be as the White Tower means it to be," the woman corrected calmly. The other Sisters looked angry for a second before regaining their composure and turning away, Laasya and Daelyn gathering their cloaks about them.

"I shall send a report as soon as I discover anything else," the Brown Sister said firmly, an open book already resting in her hands. Jayeuse returned and silently picked up her traveling cloak, remaining near the door as the other two Sisters moved to leave.

"May the Light shine upon you," Aurelia added.

* * *

"I wonder where they're going?" Calla wondered, looking out the window and seeing the three Aes Sedai, flanked by two Asha'men, striding down the street. 

"Probably to the White Tower," Sy guessed. "They'll go outside the town before the Asha'men make a Gateway for them. It draws less attention that way," he explained, and she nodded in understanding. "I'm surprised more are leaving. Especially the Blue – she was in charge."

"I guess things changed," the young woman shrugged, not really wanting to know what the Sisters were up to now.

"What did Erasmus say to you?" the Asha'man ask suddenly, and she looked at him, startled.

"What?" she managed, not sure whether she had heard right.

"What did he say?" he repeated patiently, leaning across the table slightly towards her, his face intent. She was aware of his green eyes, dark enough to look like a shaded forest, boring into her, and it made her quite uncomfortable. He seemed to realize that, and shifted a little, but still watched her.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she said stiffly. "I already had to tell the Aes Sedai all at once."

"That must have been unpleasant," he grunted, and she smiled wryly.

"Very."

"All right, you don't have to tell me," Sy conceded with a shrug. "But I'm sure whatever it was – it was serious. Don't forget it."

"I won't, trust me," she assured him. She watched him curiously as he turned to look out the window, and flushed a little when he abruptly moved and grinned at her.

"What? Do I have three ears or something?" he asked teasingly, and she shook her head in embarrassment.

"No…I was just trying to see…what makes an Asha'man," she admitted, and his eyebrows rose a bit in surprise. Taking the gesture as an offended one, she quickly tried to explain, feeling like an idiot and wishing Birgitte was with her. "I mean – Aes Sedai are – you can just tell," she finished lamely, positive he was angry. Her head shot up in surprise when he started laughing, and she gaped at him until he calmed down a few moments later.

"Ah…sorry about that," he apologized. "We get people staring all the time, but no one ever asked quite like that. And to my knowledge, there isn't any sign," he told her. "We age just like always."

"How come most of the Asha'men don't look over thirty?" she asked curiously, and he hesitated for a moment before replying.

"Even though saidin was cleaned of the taint, it takes a greater toll on us than saidar does with trained women, like the Aes Sedai," he explained. "It taxes our strength and health quicker, and add that to the fact that we age normally…."

"I see," Calla said slowly, and he watched her as she considered this information.

"There are Aes Sedai who have lived centuries, or so the rumors say," he told her casually a few minutes later. "One is supposed to have been alive at the time of the Dragon Reborn. A Green, I believe. As you can imagine, only a handful of Sisters decide to marry and start a family. Most that do are those who were found later in life."

"What about their Warders?" she asked curiously, and he shrugged.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I haven't learned much about that," he admitted. "I do think that the effect of being Bonded to an Aes Sedai affects the man's lifespan, but I honestly have no idea."

"I'd like to know more about that," she said thoughtfully, and he couldn't help but flash her a teasing grin.

"Why? Thinking of Bonding a Warder already?" he asked, and she started, jerked out of thought.

"No!" she replied hotly, and he looked surprised at her tone.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, lifting his hands in a gesture of peace. "No offense meant."

"I'm sorry too," she said, smiling a little. "I just…I don't want to be an Aes Sedai, but it seems I don't have any choice."

"Sure ya do," Sy argued calmly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms behind his head.

"I do?"

"Yep. You could run away," he suggested, and she was unable to keep from laughing. "Hey! What's so funny?" he asked indignantly, and she shook her head.

"Just the thought of running away," she admitted. "I wouldn't get very far."

"If you had an Asha'man, you would," the young man countered, and confusion found its way onto her face. "It's well-known that the Towers don't get along," he shrugged. "I'm sure you could find an Asha'man who'd help you, just to spite the White Tower."

"Oh," she nodded, understanding his meaning. Grinning a little, she returned to staring out the window, wishing she could leave the room.

* * *

"So, she defeated Erasmus," a woman's voice said softly, echoing once more in the chamber of the Hand. 

"He was a fool," a male snorted, lounging against the fireplace, his usual spot. "He underestimated her power, and paid the price."

"One less for the job," the second female commented sharply. "It's not as if the Dark One is any closer to escaping than when he was resealed by the Dragon Reborn. There is no spare power for us."

"I believe we all understand that," the second male of the Hand said coldly, his cloak hiding his features, as they all did. Even among themselves, there was no trust or lasting pacts.

"The problem now is how to go about our project," the first woman pointed out calmly, ignoring the angry auras. "There are only three Aes Sedai remaining."

"Easy enough to dispose of them," the man sitting interrupted, but she continued smoothly.

"The Asha'man, however, are there in force," she finished. The rest of her words hung unsaid in the air between the group. The power of saidin presented a much greater threat than saidar to them, if only because it wasn't as stable, and was less controlled than saidar at times. A single Asha'man, strong enough, was enough to present a severe threat to one of the Hand, much less the number that currently surrounded their 'project'.

"We'll wait for the time being," the first man decided, apparently first in their strange hierarchy. "Heartsbane knows how long we've waited until now."

* * *

"How are you feeling, Calla?" Birgitte asked anxiously, coming into the room while her friend and the Asha'man were eating dinner. 

"I'm fine – thanks for the clothing," she replied, glancing between the two as Birgitte glared at him and he stared back calmly. "This is Sy, and Birgitte," she introduced them, not wanting her friend to start fighting.

"Nice to meet you," Sy nodded, getting to his feet. "I'll leave you two alone," he added, heading towards the door.

"He'll be outside the room, of course," the blond snorted, as the door shut behind him. "But anyway, is he all right?"

"Yes – he's very nice," Calla nodded. "He hasn't bothered me at all. Where were you today? Aurelia Sedai said you were 'otherwise occupied'," she remembered, and Birgitte shifted uncomfortably.

"Thanks to my name – and looks – they think I might be the reincarnation, or descendent, of the Birgitte Silverbow," she said, hedging around the question. "I'm not really sure I get it."

"Birgitte, you've been to the Tower, haven't you?" her friend asked calmly, and Birgitte jumped.

"What?"

"It's obvious – whenever you talked about it," she laughed, showing she wasn't angry. "And you ran away."

"Did the Aes Sedai tell you this?" Birgitte asked, becoming angry herself.

"No – Birgitte, we guessed it a long time ago," Calla told her. "That's why we never asked you about it. But we could tell."

"Yeah, I was at the Tower when I was younger," Birgitte sighed. "They told me the same thing there, and I had a fit. So, I ran away. And that's how I met you guys!" she said brightly, sitting up straighter. "But enough of that – are you eating all right?" she checked, wrinkling her nose at the dish. "It smells disgusting."

"The Aes Sedai said that it was good for me," Calla shrugged. "And it doesn't taste as bad as it smells, trust me."

"I'll take your word for it, since I'm not trying it myself," Birgitte said in disgust. "I'm going downstairs to get something to eat from the kitchens. You can come in now!" she called dryly, but to her surprise, no Asha'man strode into the room. "I'll be…" she muttered, opening the door and finding the hall empty. "I guess I was wrong."

"I said he was all right," Calla told her with a grin. "He's probably downstairs."

"I'll go get him, then, since I can't stay," her friend said grudgingly. "Those Aes Sedai keep trying to teach me, and I'll be burned if they're not succeeding. Good night."

"Night," Calla waved after her, noticing it was already dark out. She sat alone in the room for a few minutes, relishing the silence, before Sy reentered the room, looking hassled. "What's the matter?" she asked, but he shrugged.

"Just some disagreements," he replied, sitting back down with a sigh. "Nothing to do with you," he added, seeing her doubtful look.

"Not hungry?" she asked curiously, noticing he didn't finish his own meal.

"Nope," he told her, waving his hand dismissively. "We're trained to live on a small amount, in case the worst happens."

"I suppose that's wise," Calla agreed cautiously, wondering what had happened downstairs.

* * *

"I still don't think she should be trained so soon," Kiel argued, following Flinn as the headed down the street to where most of the Asha'men were boarding. 

"You've made yourself quite clear," the man said calmly. "However, the Aes Sedai disagree – and she's in their charge."

"What about Yardley?" Kiel pressed. "He won't be happy about handing control to the Aes Sedai. Especially since she can channel saidin – you saw what she did! And that's the least of it!"

"I know that!" Flinn snapped, turning on the younger man. "We have no say in it right now! We're lucky Sy is able to remain with her," he continued, calming down and resuming their walk. "Micah is too young for this – you and Pyotr will remain once we leave."

"What? You're leaving?" he asked in surprised, and they both jumped when a woman's voice corrected him.

"I don't think that's very wise," Iline said calmly, falling in step with the two men. The Brown Sister appeared more composed than usual, and completely at ease.

"Iline Sedai…what are you doing here?" Flinn asked, annoyed at having been caught off-guard by the Aes Sedai.

"The Asha'men must remain here," she continued, ignoring his question. "I have been doing more research on the Hand of Heartsbane, and I believe they fear saidin more than saidar. They believe that it is more volatile, and less stable. If the Asha'men leave this place, it will only invite disaster on us."

"How do you know this?" Kiel asked suspiciously, but she only smiled.

"I have many years of experience, and research, behind me," she replied calmly. "And many resources at my disposal. Please trust me on this – the Asha'men must remain here in force."

"I'll think on it," Flinn said gruffly, a little worried by her words.

"I ask that you do," she smiled, inclining her head slightly before turning to return to the inn.

"Kiel, accompany Iline Sedai to the inn," the man ordered, but she shook her head. "I insister, Sister," he told her. "If it is so dangerous, it isn't safe for a Sister to be alone right now."

"Thank you," she agreed, waiting for Kiel to recover from surprise before continuing her walk. Kiel shot his superior a dirty look before following, quickly catching up to her.

"So…looks like we're stuck here for now," Flinn muttered, contemplating the situation. "I'll have to let Yardley. If they're so scared, maybe we can get some more experienced members here…"

* * *

"I understand you disagree with the decision to begin training the girl," Iline said suddenly, and Kiel stammered for a moment before resuming his normal calm attitude. 

"Yes, Aes Sedai," he replied stiffly. "Especially since she can wield saidin like that – an Asha'man should be teaching her."

"And one will," she assured him. "She needs to use both, and two teachers are required. I don't think any Asha'men that are here are strong enough, however."

"What?"

"She may be weak alone, but if whatever power she holds awakens again – the result will be devastating," Iline informed him, reminding him of the Palace. "There is something inside her that allows her to control saidin, and I am determined to find out what. But she cannot wield either without a very powerful master with her, or it may grow out of control again."

"I see," Kiel nodded, wondering why the woman was telling him this.

"I have two family members who are Asha'men," she told him suddenly, and smiled slightly at his look. "I married a…long time ago, and I have followed my family for an equally long amount of time. I allow them to think me gone, however. You remind me of one – so full of spirit and power, like an Asha'man should be. However, you need to learn discipline. My husband did not, and saidin consumed him."

"Your husband was…"

"An Asha'man, and my Warder," she confided. "I do not wish for any other person to suffer as my poor husband did. Perhaps I should have joined the Green Ajah…" she mused, once more seeming to fade into her own world. The tall man stared at her in surprise, wondering what was going on in their world for an Aes Sedai to be confiding in an Asha'man, and decided it was something very wrong indeed.

* * *

Whoever knows which Aes Sedai I made a reference to, gets a cameo, or a OC completely, since I'm bringing in new characters as we go...And yes, Iline was Aes Sedai during the original series. Please review! 


	6. Wheel of Frustration

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

I was surprised, but no one guessed right. Cadsuane is the Green they mentioned. Just a random thing. Ah well. Sorry if this chapter is a bit weird, I've been trying to think of something for it and came out with this. Hope it's all right!

Please review. Comments, ideas, suggestions, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

Calla woke up two days later feeling like she had been pulled inside-out and put back together wrong, and her groan announced her mood to anyone who happened to be present in the room – which was Sy, who had taken a nap in the chair early that morning.

"I thought as much," he said sympathetically, as she sat up and groggily ran a hand through her hair. "They're really pushing you, aren't they?"

"I guess," she mumbled, standing with almost no wobbling and made her way to the nightstand and water basin, which had been filled with cold water not long before. "Thanks."

"Not a problem," he agreed, sitting back and rubbing his eyes. "Sleep good? I don't think you quite saw where you were going last night when you stumbled in."

"I didn't," she said wryly, splashing water on her face to help wake her up. "Is it late?"

"The sun's up."

"Why didn't you get me up?" she demanded, suddenly moving quickly to dress. He held up a hand to stop her, and she looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"You slept later today because you're going to be doing different training today," he informed her.

"Like what?" Calla asked, her interest caught.

"Flinn contacted Yardley when we caught news of your training, and asked for an experienced Asha'man to be sent to help you with saidin," Sy explained patiently, obediently closing his eyes as she gave him the 'look'. He continued as she dressed, and shifted with a yawn. "Anyway, he got here last night. He wanted you well-rested, and so you got to sleep a few hours in."

"What's his name?"

"He's an Aiel like myself. His name's Hoiadl, and he's thirty-eight. One of the oldest Asha'men," Sy told her, hearing her gasp of surprise. "He's agreed to teach you to wield saidin, or at least control it better. He's not an unkind man, but don't cross him – he's pure Aiel, not tamed like some."

"Like you?" Calla asked softly, pulling her dress over her head. She heard a grunt, but shook her head to free her hair. She had grown closer to her almost-twenty-four-hour bodyguard, and though she wouldn't have dared say something like that two days ago, she certainly did now. "You're hardly tamed, Sy."

"We should be getting breakfast, and then I'll take you to him," the young man said abruptly, getting to his feet.

"All right, let me get my shoes," she protested, searching for her boots. She usually wore the sturdy black boots underneath the gown Birgitte had bought her, but they had been taken to be cleaned and she couldn't find them.

"They're here," he said, handing them across the bed.

"Thanks again," she grinned, taking them and pulling them on happily. She wore a sangria-red gown with black crisscrossing ribbons on the bodice and on her hems, the sleeves loose and reaching her knuckles. It had been given to her from Terezihna, and she had thought it a rather-subdued choice for a Red so fierce. Finally done, she straightened with a stretch and grin, fully prepared for breakfast. "I'm starving."

"Breakfast awaits, my lady," Sy told her with a teasing bow, gesturing for her to leave the room first. She mockingly curtseyed to him in reply before moving past and into the hall.

"Where is everyone?" she asked, noticing the lack of bustle there usually was, and Sy shrugged as he locked the door behind them and guided her to the kitchen as he did every morning.

"I believe the Brown Sister is doing more research, the Red is tormenting your friend, and the Yellow is resting," he said. "A few of the Asha'men had an accident training early this morning, and she was kind enough to Heal them."

"Are they all right?" Calla asked in surprise, and he nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Yep, thanks to her. I thought you were hungry," he added, and she blinked, realizing she had stopped in her tracks.

"Of course I am."

* * *

"Is he very far away?" she asked, beginning to grow nervous at being so far from town. They were at least six miles away from the town, well into the densely-overgrown forest, and she clung to Sy tightly as the gelding picked his way down the barely-manageable path.

"You're not a corset," he complained, and nodded. "We're just about where he told me – ah, there he is," he said, pointing ahead of them to a clearing. Narrowing her eyes, thankful the trees were so close together they blocked out most of the sun's glare, Calla saw a tall man – almost seven feet in height – with eyes so pale they looked white from where she was, and white hair. "Just relax and do what he says," Sy whispered, dismounting and lifting her off the horse. He looped the reins around a branch before helping her over to the clearing, where the Asha'man strode to meet them.

Up close, she saw that his hair was a blond so pale it was white, and his eyes were a light blue.

"You are Calla?" he asked, in an heavily-accented voice, and she nodded. "I am Hoiadl, an Aiel and Asha'man," he introduced himself, bowing slightly, as did she. "I apologize for dragging you so far from civilization, but I wanted to avoid any unnecessary destruction," he explained, and she blinked.

"Destruction?" she repeated nervously, and he nodded matter-of-factly.

"Of course. In case saidin cannot be contained."

"Contained?" Calla repeated again, aware she was only making a fool of herself. To her surprise, the two Aiel exchanged knowing glances before Hoiadl nodded.

"I heard what happened, and thought it would be wise to separate us as much as possible from civilization during training," he told her calmly. "Saidin is much more volatile in nature, at least in my experience, and for a woman to be able to wield it is unheard of. Therefore, I have taken the liberty of taking certain precautions."

"I understand," she said hesitantly, not really sure what they were going to do, but deciding to trust Sy's judgment.

"I assume you've been training with the Aes Sedai these two days?" Hoiadl began, and she nodded. "Saidin is completely different than saidar. You must understand that now, or else we will never accomplish anything here."

Calla nodded again, sensing that this was the beginning of a very long and hard day.

* * *

It was past noon by the time Hoiadl allowed her a rest, and she sat on the ground breathing heavily. The Asha'men were certainly right – saidin was completely different. It was somehow heavier inside her, and seemed to take up more room when used. Calla had thought she was tired after using saidar – after using the male half of the Power, it was even worse.

"Are you all right?" Sy asked, crouching next to her and dropping a hand on her shoulder. He had stayed out of the training for the most part, trusting that Hoiadl knew what he was doing.

"I can see why you guys don't really like it," she cringed. "It hurts."

"Drink this," Hoiadl ordered, handing her a flask with wine in it. "It'll help dull it. And now you understand why saidin is so dangerous."

"I never said I didn't," she argued, shaking her head. "How am I supposed to know?"

"You can't – and you have to learn quickly," the Aiel said, sounding slightly sympathetic. "That's why I'm pushing you. Saidin is deadly for us, and you must be able to control it."

"I know," Calla replied, hanging her head with a sigh. "It's just…it's like I have to fight for control with it, all the time. Even when I'm using saidar, it's there, in the back of my head, pulling at me."

"Putting a block would only destroy you," Hoiadl mused, and she looked at him curiously. "It's like when a sister is stilled," he explained. "A ward inside of you. But that isn't appropriate, in this case. Sy tells me you used – balefire, was it?"

"Almost, but not quite," Sy interjected. "It did wipe him from the Pattern, but he managed to shield himself for a moment. It was something else."

"And probably more dangerous, but let's hope not."

"Are you always this cheerful, or is it an Asha'men thing?" Calla groused. "Or an Aiel thing?"

"Probably a bit of both," the elder man admitted with a short laugh. "Finish your drink, and I'll teach you Arrows of Fire."

"What?" Sy demanded, jumping to his feet. "Hoiadl, it's too –"

"Light forbid she learn something on her own and destroy herself," the man said grimly. Calla looked between the two nervously, and remained silent as he continued to speak. "She discovered balefire, or a form of it – or even an entirely new weave – on her own. We can't let that happen again. Better to teach her now, than allow saidin to gain control and destroy us all."

"Is it dangerous?" Calla asked, pushing herself to her feet. "I mean…more dangerous than before?"

"Before, you were learning to feel saidin, to call upon it and understand its nature," Sy explained, before Hoiadl said anything. "He wants to teach you to attack now."

"Do I have to?" she asked, wincing when she knew she sounded like a petulant child.

"Yes."

"I'll try," she agreed, but Hoiadl surprised her by shaking his head firmly.

"No, you can't."

"Huh?" she blinked, but Sy knew what was coming.

"You can't 'try' with saidin. You either control it, or die," he told her sternly. "If you attempt this with the idea that you can try and walk away from it, you'll kill yourself. You must have resolve – a strong heart and will to survive," the Aiel said. "If you can do this thing, you will be on your way to living with saidin."

Calla remained silent for what seemed like a long time, and Sy shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. If she died out here, he'd pay the price – not only with Flinn and Yardley, whose plans weren't quite clear to him, but with the Aes Sedai as well, who seemed like the worse of two evils. The Asha'men waited for her answer patiently, knowing it marked a definite turn in the Pattern. Finally, she nodded slowly, her eyes appearing large and dark in her pale face, despite the fact they were almost as light as Hoiadl's, though a different hue.

"I can do it," she said, her voice faint but firm. Hoiadl nodded in approval, and Sy stepped back to the horse, looking like he disapproved.

"This can't be explained," the Aiel began. "You should be able to see the weaves, so watch me closely." She nodded, and he stepped to her side so she wouldn't be in danger from his weaves. Her eyes widened in shock as the intricate weaves of Earth and Fire meshed together, creating small filaments of superheated material that shot from his fingertips. Ten little flares shot from each fingertip in rapid succession, and if she had blinked she would have missed almost the entire thing, he performed it so fast.

"That was…" Calla began, searching for the right words. "Almost beautiful, but somehow it scared me."

"As it should," Hoiadl said gruffly. Sy stared openly, his jaw hanging open – he had never seen Arrows of Fire performed so flawlessly, or fast, and was beginning to understand why the older Aiel had been sent to teach Calla. If anyone could help her control saidin, he could.

"I think I saw it clearly enough," she said softly, shaking from the effects of being so close to it. Hoiadl stood behind her and grasped her shoulders firmly, to keep her from moving too much.

"Do it _exactly_ as I did," he told her, a hint of warning in his tone. "Any different, and with luck all that will happen is that you blow your hands off. If you think you're knotting something, release it and I'll deal with the weave. Now, do it."

Calla inclined her head slowly, taking a deep breath as she did so and closing her eyes. Sy watched anxiously, knowing that this weave would either break her apart, or put the power of saidin within her reach. He jumped when the Arrows suddenly flew out of her fingertips, just as quickly and accurately as Hoiadl had done.

"Very impressive," Hoiadl complimented her, releasing her from his grip and taking a step back. "I'm astonished, actually."

"That…wasn't me," she managed, looking down at her hands in shock. Her words caught the two Asha'men by surprise, and a shadow crossed over Hoiadl's face.

"What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice carefully even.

"I mean – I knew what I was doing, but I didn't mean to do it," she said, trying to explain. "It just…happened, like at the Palace. Something in my head seemed to know what to do, not me."

Silence hung between the three for a long while, heavy with unspoken thoughts and concerns. Eventually, Hoiadl loudly cleared his throat, snapping the other two out of their revere.

"I think we've done enough for today," he said calmly. "The day is getting long – and we've accomplished a great deal. You should be proud. Sy, take her back to Haisyn for food and rest. Let the Aes Sedai in charge know that I want to see her this evening."

"Yes, sir," Sy agreed, taking Calla's elbow gently. "Come on," he prodded her, and she followed him in confusion to the horse.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, knowing something was. "Sy!" she prodded when he remained silent, but he shook his head as he mounted the horse, pulling her up after her.

"We'll talk in a bit," he said calmly, and she fell silent, knowing he wasn't going to say another word until he felt like it.

* * *

"He is becoming hungry," the calm woman, who so loved to point out the progress to the others, announced.

"We know that, Iseliann," a man grumbled, from his place near the fire as usual. "It is not enough."

"When will it be?" she persisted. Her violet eyes flashed angrily, and her silver hair seemed to glow, piled atop her head regally. "It is never enough," she hissed. "We will all die like this if it does not happen soon! He is awakening!"

"Awakening is not enough," the other woman said sharply. "If it was, we could have taken action before now."

"No one spoke to you, Samina," the second man interrupted, but the first man raised his hand, a smile gracing his features.

"A bit testy today, aren't we all?" he said calmly, and they fell silent, their gazes resting on in various degrees of hate.

"And you aren't, Reider?" the man sitting in a corner said snidely. "Quite an interesting change, to see you so riled up over such a small incident like this one."

"This is hardly a small incident!" Samina hissed, her green eyes glowing in the firelight, black hair tumbling around her shoulders. "The girl _channeled_. Not just one of her Dreams – she used the Power! That's hardly a small incident!"

"We make no move," the man called Reider said sternly. His handsome looks, with amber eyes and amber-colored hair in a long ponytail down his back, belied his cruel nature and calculating mind. "Just because she channeled once does not mean she's strong enough, not in the least. No one is to go near her until I give my approval. Do you understand? Masahyro?" he added warningly, and the bald man with ice-blue eyes grunted.

"Whatever you say, Reider," he said sourly. "I'm hardly the one you have to worry about."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Iseliann demanded coldly, and he only shrugged.

* * *

"Sy, it didn't take us this long on our way here," Calla said eventually, her arms wrapped around his torso snugly. "Are we going the same way?"

"I took a longer route," he said shortly.

"It seemed Hoiadl wanted us back earlier, rather than later," she began, not sure what was wrong. She winced when he refused to say anything, and sighed into his back. "All right, fine."

"Hoiadl never said he wanted me to warn the Aes Sedai," Sy told her finally. "Just that he wanted to see her. He wants to speak to them before they have a chance to question you about today. That's why. And I thought the night air might be good for you, after today."

"At least it isn't that cold," she admitted, wrapped in a thick black cloak given to her by the Asha'man called Kiel. She had met him and another one, called Pyotr, the day before, and Sy had explained that they were given orders by Flinn to stay at the inn with him. The Asha'men, however, had mostly left when given orders by Yardley, though six of the strongest channelers had been sent to replace them. Calla wished she understood what was going on in their ranks, but could only keep quiet and continue her practice, feeling like a puppet of sorts.

"Anyone would be warm in that thing," Sy said, cracking a grin at her expense. It was far too big, and she looked like she had been bundled up by an overprotective mother before going out to play. "You look silly."

"Thanks," she groused, actually quite comfortable. Between being so wrapped up and having Sy's back as a resting place, the ride wasn't as uncomfortable as some would think, and she allowed herself a yawn before leaning against him once more.

"If you want to sleep, ride up front," he ordered. "I can't have you falling off the horse behind me. Light help me if I bring you home with a scratch on you."

"I'm all right," she protested. "I'm allowed to yawn after all that."

"If you say so," he said disbelievingly. They rode in a silence a while longer before he cleared his throat, not wanting to scare her awake if she had dozed off.

"What?" Calla asked, thinking something was wrong.

"You were dozing."

"I wasn't!"

"You were," he argued, having felt her breathing change. Sy reined the horse in and dismounted, ignoring her protests as he climbed back up, this time with Calla firmly nested in front of him. "Stop wiggling, you'll fall!" he informed her, and she snorted.

"I'm so wrapped up, I wouldn't even know if I hit the ground," she retorted. "I'm _fine_."

"Well, with this route, we have a little longer to go, so just relax," he ordered, knowing how tired the young woman must be after all that channeling. Saidin was much more stressful on the user than saidar, and he recalled his own training with unpleasant memories. The Asha'man waited for her to argue back, and realized after a few minutes that she had indeed fallen asleep, leaning against him as a pillow. _"She's small,"_ he thought, her head not reaching his shoulder even when propped against him. Shifting slightly, he wrapped a hand protectively around her, the cold not bothering him at all through his own cloak.

* * *

Ah! There, I introduced the rest of the Hand by name, so now you all know. And yes, I know what I'm leading up to. This isn't some random "Oh, she can channel teh powah!" thing. So don't worry, and please review!


End file.
